Finding Faith
by Lolly6
Summary: Crossover with Harry Potter seven years after the defeat of the first, willow and faith meet up in a demon bar in London, willow's a teacher soon to be married and Faith she's training slayers, what's the link that exists between them? WRL
1. Part 1

Disclaimer: I don't own the Characters from BtVs or Harry Potter. Neither do I own the song that belongs to Alanis Morissette. Also the idea of soul rings/ medallions comes from Mel Odom's book from the Angel Series called Bruja.  
  
Faith walked confidently into the club, her informant had told her that this was where the deal was going to go down and she was ready. Ready to fight her way out if she had to. This deal couldn't go through no matter what; those had been her orders before she had left tonight.  
  
She looked round the club warily this was the kind of place she had spent the majority of her teenage years after dropping out of school and finding out she was the chosen one. Not the only chosen one of cause their had been the almighty Buffy who was considered the chosen. Faith well she was the spare, expendable who no one would miss if something should happen to her. Well that's what she'd always thought any way.  
  
There were quite a few people hanging round a few couples and a big group in the corner. All bent down over their drinks and having a whispered discussion. She was pretty sure that they weren't who she was looking for. The gang she was looking for were a mix of demons and magical beings that were dealing in mortal souls, they stole them from their victims and trapped them in medallions. Which they wore around their necks in battle, during the battle they would release the soul who would be duty bound to defend it's keeper and then trap them again once the battle was over.  
  
She looked up as she heard the familiar opening notes to one of her favourite songs bang out on the Jukebox, she had first heard the song when she had moved to Sunnydale and it had hit home immediately. It described how she felt then, and how she had always felt.  
  
I hate the world today  
You're so good to me, I know  
But I can change  
Tried to tell you  
But you look at me like maybe I'm an angel underneath  
In a sentence sweet  
  
Draining the last of her drink she got up and walked to the abandoned dance floor, looking at the clock she saw that she had some time to kill so she began to move her body to music twisting her body hypnotically to the beat, moulding her flesh to music and letting it flow through her.  
  
Those members of the clientele who had not noticed her when she had first kicked her way into the bar no watched her speechlessly.  
  
Yesterday I cried  
Must have been to see the softer side  
I can understand how you'd be so confused  
I don't envie you  
I'm a little bit of everything  
All rolled into one  
  
Another woman stepped onto the dance floor; she had long red hair with white high lights. She was wearing dark denim jeans and a black vest top Faith looked at her for a moment before it dawned on her who the other woman was.  
  
"How's it going then Will?"  
  
She asked still moving to the beat of the chorus,  
  
I'm a bitch I'm a lover  
I'm a child I'm a mother  
I'm a sinner I'm a saint  
I do not feel ashamed  
I'm your hell I'm your dream  
I'm nothin' in between  
You know, you wouldn't want it any other way  
  
"Good, what about you?"  
  
"Five by five as always,"  
  
She smiled at the other girl and pointed at the bar asking her if she wanted a drink, Willow nodded and the two of them walked over to the bar and sat on the old thread bare bar stoles.  
  
Faith ordered two drinks before she turned to Willow and said,  
  
"No points for guessing that we're both here for the same reason."  
  
Willow took a sip of her drink and nodded.  
  
"I'm a bit surprised to see you though Wills, how longs it been six years?"  
  
Willow put her glass down and tied her hair up with a band that was wrapped around her wrist.  
  
"Seven, seven years and five months since the First and Sunnydale was destroyed."  
  
Faith nodded,  
  
"Sounds about right. So are you going to tell me what you've been up to for all these years, or are we going to wait in silence waiting for the scum bag to appear?"  
  
Willow giggled for a moment before saying  
  
"Same old Faith wants all the juicy gossip but doesn't want everyone to know she's really an old gossip."  
  
"I'm hurt by that Will really, you know me I don't care a shit bout any of you I was just trying to make conversation."  
  
There was a shining glint in Faith's eyes as she said that, it might have been true once, but not any more. She was actually truly interested in what the red head had been up to for all these years, having not seen her since the rest stop they had made before La when Willow had disappeared leaving only a brief note saying that she needed time and space on her own for a while.  
  
"I guess you could say I've found myself."  
  
Willow said smiling not really wanting to give too much away to begin with.  
  
"What bout you?"  
  
Faith took a slurp of her drink. She knew that Willow was holding back but didn't want to make too big a deal out of it just yet.  
  
"Me? Well I've been with B and the gang re-building the watchers council. It's pretty cool but also somewhat disturbing this morning to young girls actually called me Ma'am..."  
  
Willow giggled but Faith carried on saying,  
  
"It's weird you know I always thought of myself as this monumental screw up the expendable one, the example of how not to be. And now I've got kids looking up to me and using me as a role model. I'm not sure whether to be pleased or scared."  
  
Willow stopped giggling and said  
  
"Believe it or not you are a good role model, you're a living example of how making mistakes doesn't have to ruin you life. You may have made some messes and caused some real chaos but you still fight the good fight. When shit hits the fan at least you can be depended on to take the right side. Even if it did take you a while to realise which side the right one was."  
  
Faith smiled and said  
  
"Thanks, that really means a lot to hear you say that. Now are you going to tell me how you've found yourself or not?"  
  
Willow grinned and said,  
  
"Well let's see after I left you at that rest stop I hitched a ride to the air port and flew out to London. I thought I would check up some old friends and mentors from my time in rehab over there. The more time I spent with them the more relaxed I became. I was really worried about the amount of magic, which I used for that spell to activate the slayers, really scared in case it led to me having a relapse or something. Figured that that would be the best place for me to be if something did happen. And I guess it was."  
  
Faith grinned having guessed the direction the story was going in.  
  
"So what's his name then?"  
  
"His name?"  
  
She asked blushing at the question,  
  
"Yeah well there's a guy I can tell, which is a bit of a surprise since the last time I saw you, you weren't really swinging that way,"  
  
Willow blushed even deeper before saying.  
  
"Alright you've caught me, his name is Remus."  
  
Faith grinned and said,  
  
"Knew it. So how'd you meet then, and how long you been together?"  
  
Willow grinned back at her and said  
  
"I met him at work, we're both teachers. We've been dating for about five years and we're getting married next year some time."  
  
Faith whistled, life was obviously going good for Willow, she was glad after all she had been through the red head really did deserve some happiness in life.  
  
"So what are you doing here tonight, I know it's the same reason as me, but I'm here on behalf of the watchers council and Wolfram and Heart. And unless I missed a real crucial memo about you being back, who you here with?"  
  
Willow looked serious for a moment and said  
  
"Can I trust you not to say anything to anyone about seeing me, or about what I am about to tell you?"  
  
Faith nodded slowly, she wanted to ask why but realised that if she let the red head,  
  
"In the world there are three community's which exists. The human one and the demonic one, both of which you are aware of, I live in a third community, the magical community."  
  
Faith had a small grin on her face as she said,  
  
"Little late their Red, I know all bout the magic community have probably for a lot longer than you, on account of my dead beat ma being a witch and all."  
  
Willow looked shocked,  
  
"Your mother was a witch?"  
  
Faith nodded,  
  
"Yeah her Name was Anna Lupin she graduated from some school here in England before meeting my father having me and turning to drugs to help her through the day. Seems she was pretty good in the day."  
  
"Lupin?"  
  
Willow asked laughing, Faith looked mad for a minute and said  
  
"What's so funny bout that, I'm Faith Lupin didn't you ever wonder what my last name was? I mean I wasn't just born Faith Faith y'know."  
  
Willow stopped laughing and said,  
  
"It's not that, Lupin's a great name it's just I'm wondering how your going to cope when you realise that this time next year I'm going to be your aunt?"  
  
Faith stared at her for a moment and said,  
  
"Remus.... Lupin? My mom talked once or twice about having a brother, but I never really paid that much attention to her... Hey is he round here? Cause I'd like to meet him."  
  
Willow smiled and said  
  
"He's not here now, but if your not doing anything later come home with me, you can meet him in the morning..."  
  
She finished her drink quickly and said  
  
"I think trouble just came walking into the bar, are you ready for some fun?"  
  
Faith grinned and said  
  
"As always"  
  
Faith wiped the remaining traces of dust off her trousers as they left the bar.  
  
"So where we off to then?"  
  
Willow grinned and said,  
  
"Well if you just hold onto me we can go home."  
  
Faith grabbed hold of Willow's arm uncertainly and suddenly felt as if the whole world around her had stopped, it was as if she was being folded into herself and then suddenly she was gone. The houses became blurs and nothing seemed to exist any more. She was flying through sky and then suddenly she stopped and was in a darkened street standing next to Willow again. Willow was looking at her concernedly  
  
"Are you ok? I know it's a bit difficult the first time you use a wizarding method for transport."  
  
Faith coughed for a couple of minutes and rubbed her stomach. "I'm fine, just a bit hungry."  
  
Willow grinned and said,  
  
"Well that's easily fixed, I'm sure that Molly will have left some food lying about somewhere which you can have."  
  
She was searching in her pocket for something. Faith waited as she did so assuming that it must be a key of some sorts. And so was shocked when Willow suddenly pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it to her saying  
  
"Look at it, memorise it and give it back please."  
  
Faith looked at the bit of paper; on it was written the headquarters of the order of the phoenix will be found at 12 Grimmauld Place London. She handed the paper back to Willow and said  
  
"Well what happens now?"  
  
Willow smiled and said  
  
"Just wait,"  
  
Faith looked in the same place as Willow was, wondering what was going to happen. Suddenly there was a small movement as number 11 and number 13 started to shift apart from each other leaving a small hole. Suddenly the hole got bigger and bigger and then a house suddenly popped in between them.  
  
"What the Hell?"  
  
Faith asked, willow smiled and said  
  
"This is home, kind of."  
  
They both walked towards the front door and Willow pulled a key out of her pocket, she turned to Faith quickly before unlocking the door and said  
  
"Don't say anything until we reach the kitchen, ok? That is really important."  
  
Faith nodded and said  
  
"Whatever you say Will."  
  
Willow smiled and turned the key in the look opening the door as quietly as she could and slipping in as silently as she could motioning Faith to come in behind her. They both crept cat like down the corridor walking towards a door at the end of it where lights could be seen shining from underneath.  
  
Willow reached the door first and opened the door quickly pulling Faith inside and shutting the door again.  
  
"Well that was interesting."  
  
Faith said giggling.  
  
"Now where's this food you mentioned?"  
  
Faith turned as she heard the laughter of many people from her comment.  
  
"Ah, Red you going to introduce me to all these people or leaving me standing here like a fool?"  
  
Willow smiled reassuringly at Faith; she knew that although Faith was brave and fearless in battle she had always found it difficult with people she didn't know. That was part of the reason she had had so much trouble when she had first moved to Sunnydale.  
  
There were about eight people seated round the table. Some of them were in their teens, but the majority were adults. They all looked like they were on big family.  
  
"Who's this?"  
  
One of the men asked, Willow smiled and said,  
  
"Everyone I'd like you to meet a friend of mine from home her name is Faith lu...."  
  
"Wilkins"  
  
Faith interrupted quickly,  
  
"Faith Wilkins,"  
  
Willow gave her an odd look for a moment and said,  
  
"Well that was the easier bit, now I've got to introduce you to this lot. The woman with red hair is Molly, then that's her Husband Arthur on her left their, three of their two youngest children Ron and Ginny, Harry, Hermione, the four of them are students at the school I teach at, then Sirius and lastly Molly and Arthur's eldest son Bill."  
  
Faith smiled awkwardly at them, not really knowing what to say.  
  
"Hi"  
  
She murmured, but she didn't have to say anything more than that. Molly was out of her seat and walking over to the stove where a selection of saucepans were still bubbling and said  
  
"I'm afraid there's not a lot left after this lot have been at it, and I only saved a bit for Willow because she missed dinner as well, but I'm sure they'll be enough and if not it'll only take me a minute to make some more and of course there lots of bread in the cupboard and with all the sweets the Twins keep bringing over..."  
  
Willow touched her arm and pulled her towards the table saying  
  
"You definitely won't go hungry here."  
  
Faith soon found herself seated at the table between a girl who looked about seventeen with bushy hair who she was almost positive was Hermione and a laughing man with long black hair who was Sirius and a large plate stuffed to the brim of chicken and ham pie baked potatoes peas and large chunks of bread. 


	2. Part 2

She was just starting her meal when Arthur was sitting opposite her said  
  
"I'm sorry my dear, but I'm assuming you're a muggle?"  
  
He turned to Willow and asked  
  
"Am I right?"  
  
Willow nodded and then turning to a confused looking Faith said,  
  
"A Muggle is a non magical person."  
  
Then turning back to Arthur she said,  
  
"Faith isn't a witch but she's pretty powerful, she's one of the two original slayers. And her mom was a witch."  
  
"You're a Slayer?"  
  
Hermione asked her,  
  
"An original?"  
  
Faith swallowed the mouthful of bread she had and said  
  
"I guess so."  
  
Sirius said,  
  
"Well at least that explains how you were able to see this house, it has muggle repellent charms on it so even if on the unlikely and critically dangerous chance they found an invitation into this house they would not be able to enter it."  
  
Molly smiled at her and said  
  
"So Faith why don't you tell us about yourself, how do you know willow for example?"  
  
Faith looked uncertainly at Willow and said  
  
"We met in High school, well Red was in High school I was just kind of sailing by. Didn't get on so well with her then though..."  
  
She stopped suddenly and stared at her plate suddenly Molly spoke and said  
  
"Right then; Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Harry bed.... No arguments. Now!"  
  
The four of them stood up muttering angrily and walked towards the door. When they had left, Molly looked over at Faith and said  
  
"Everyone has a past my dear. It's what they choose to do with their future that's important, how they choose to live... to make amends."  
  
Willow interrupted here and said  
  
"Faith, no one will judge you here. They know my past, know about Warren about the things I've done my addiction my darkness... they accept me for who I am. They will do the same for you. But first of all you need to forgive yourself. That is the hardest thing in the world to do."  
  
Faith smiled at willow and said  
  
"Your promised me a meal red, not salvation."  
  
Willow grinned and said  
  
"A good hostess will always offer a bit of both."  
  
Faith Broke out into a big grin and said  
  
"May I say then, that I think your one of the best hostesses who ever allowed me to grace their table."  
  
Sirius interrupted and said  
  
"Your Mother was a witch?" Faith nodded  
  
"Didn't she ever teach you about our ways or world?"  
  
He asked again, Faith turned white and stared at her plate begging herself not to cry. Willow interrupted at this point and said  
  
"Faith's mother died when she was young."  
  
"I'm so sorry my dear, was it through illness?"  
  
Faith shook her head and said  
  
"No suicide, she killed herself through an overdose of Heroin which she used to take to escape from life."  
  
No body knew what to say at this point but Molly said,  
  
"Your father wasn't a wizard then?"  
  
Faith who had lost all her appetite said quickly  
  
"I've never met my father, he left before I was born.... Wills is there somewhere I can sleep I'm feeling really tired now that's all."  
  
Willow made to get out of her seat but Sirius was up first he offered his arm to Faith and said to Willow,  
  
"You finish your dinner or Remus will kill me, I promised I'd make sure you ate a good meal when you got back. I'll show Faith to your old room."  
  
Willow smiled and said  
  
"Good night Faith,"  
  
Faith smiled and said  
  
"Night everyone, thank you for the meal it was really good."  
  
And left.  
  
After the door had closed Willow turned to Molly and said  
  
"Don't Worry about anything, Faith had a bad childhood, her mom died her father ran off she lived with different people each week and was called when she was fifteen. She's scared of families of love, of being weak and built up so many walls that she gets scared when she thinks of the past."  
  
Once they had left the kitchen behind them and walked up the fist flight of stairs Faith turned to Sirius and said,  
  
"I'm sorry bout that, but I find it difficult to talk about my childhood, I found my mothers body..."  
  
Sirius put up his hands in front of him and said  
  
"Don't worry about it, we all understand. I myself did not exactly have the best childhood; this is my family home in case you didn't know. My family were dark wizards, not originally followers of you know who. But dark all the same, obsessed with their pure blood status. I was a monumental disappointment to them."  
  
Faith gave a small grin and said  
  
"Thanks for understanding, Red didn't tell me that this was your house. Are you sure that you don't mind me staying?"  
  
Sirius grinned and said  
  
"The more the merrier, one more thing before I leave, you have a very intense magical aura I find it difficult that the only reason for this is because you are a slayer. Do you have any links with the magical community at all?"  
  
Faith looked apprehensive for a moment before saying,  
  
"Not apart from my mother, she used to tell me stories about it when I was little but I never really experienced it."  
  
"Ah, now that explains it. Here is your room, I hope you like it, I'll just come in to light the fire for you,"  
  
He pulled open a door and walked into a room which fifty years ago could have been described as grand and luxurious. Now however it looked run down and decrepit. There was a large bed with mouldy looking green velvet hangings. A large fire places a dresser and a desk, which concluded all of the furnishings in the room were spread spaciously throughout it. Sirius crossed over to the fireplace and using the candle, which he was carrying, lit the fire, which burst almost instantaneously. Filling the room with a merry glow of the flames.  
  
He turned quickly to Faith and said,  
  
"Good night Faith, if you need anything don't hesitate to ask."  
  
"Um, well I could do with some night clothes, I didn't realise that I was going to be staying out."  
  
He looked at her smilingly and said  
  
"Of course."  
  
He walked over to the dresser open one of the drawers and pulled out an ankle length white cotton night dress which had intricate lace patterns sewn into it.  
  
"It has never been worn, it was probably bought by my mother during one of her fazes she would go through times where she would be obsessed with buying certain items, night attire, furniture, shoes. Only the best obviously, half of them she never even bothered to look at once the faze had finished so this house is filled with junk which should never have been bought, has never been used and very probably never will be. So you are welcome to keep that if you wish, as I certainly will have no use for it in the future."  
  
Faith grinned and said  
  
"You had a real problem with your mom then?"  
  
Sirius grinned and said  
  
"I guess so, any way. Sleep well."  
  
"You too, and thanks."  
  
Faith answered watching as he left the room. She changed quickly into the nightgown he had given her, finding it to by ever so slightly too long for her. She folded her jeans and top up and placed them on the desk. She looked around the room trying to soak it in. it had an evil feel to it but that would be explained by Sirius' account of his family's tendencies towards the dark arts.  
  
The house expelled magic. It was potent, toxic almost. She had not felt magic of this intensity since... no; she didn't want to go down that path. Nothing good ever came from thinking about her mom. She climbed into the bed, pulling the green velvet comforter over her and watching the fire crackle in the grate.  
  
From the distances she heard a howling but ignored at as she became more and more lost within her thoughts.  
  
A/N Thanks to Witchlight, Tara6, M and Blondi Gurl for reviewing the first chapter, hope you all like this next part:) 


	3. Part 3

Her mom, what could she say about her mom? She had been just the first struggle in Faith's screwed up life. Anna Lupin had been a beautiful talented woman until she had met Richard Marvalo and fallen pregnant with Faith. It wasn't that her mom hadn't loved her. Quite the opposite in fact, each morning when she woke up and every night before she went to bed her mom would tell her that she loved her, loved her so much it hurt.  
  
She had been a tall woman, taller than faith with long dark hair and brilliant green eyes. They had lived in a medium sized house, which had belonged to Anna's family. Faith had never met any of her relatives but her mom had talked about them, especially a younger brother she had. Although she had never mentioned his name... Remus, who had suffered in some way, from something, which was not his fault. Something for which Anna blamed herself. Faith hadn't cared that they didn't have any money that she didn't have a dad that they lived hand to mouth. She had her mom and that as all that mattered. But somehow, somewhere along the way something had happened. Looking back she realised that it had happened over a long period of time, things had changed. But at the time it seemed like a weak-minded uncaring depressed heroin addict had replaced her loving affectionate mother.  
  
She had been eight years old; coming home from school by herself as usual she had walked into her moms room, knowing that that would be where she would be. She was always in her room, it had been odd because the curtains hadn't been opened her mom hated the dark she would open the curtains as soon as the sun came up. Faith had walked nervously towards her mom's bed and found her asleep. She tried to shake her awake but it wouldn't work suddenly her mom had rolled over and faith met her mothers dead lifeless eyes and saw the serine look on her face and knew she was dead. She had run out of the room and called the police on the house phone. She had wanted to stay with her mother but she couldn't stay and look into those lifeless eyes. Those eyes, which had haunted her through her darkest hours and her happiest moments no matter where she was or what she was doing she always saw those eyes watching her.  
  
She pulled the comforter closer to her finally beginning to feel the coldness of the room, since the fire was dying. She didn't cry, too many tears had been cried for her mother. She wasn't able to cry any more. All she had was the inner strength and hidden love which her mother had installed in her at a young age and the memory of the best mom in the world who had taught her about magic, who had made her chocolate pancakes when she was sick and who would eat peanut butter sandwiches for a week so that she could afford to buy faith a new coat. Faith didn't fear death because she knew that her mom would be they're waiting for her. She just wasn't ready to go yet, not for a long time. But the knowledge that her mom would be there was enough for her. She still had so much to do before she could happily go to mother. Angel's reward for her redemption was his mortality hers would be the chance to die peacefully and return to her mother.  
  
She looked at the clock that was on the dresser it was nearly four, she decided to try and get some sleep so watching the dying embers of the fire she drifted off into a land of dreams and memories.  
  
Precious few hours later she was awoken by a knock at the door, she groaned and rolled into a seating position on her bed and called out  
  
"Come in!"  
  
The door opened quickly and willow stepped in dressed in the jeans form the previous night a black cheesecloth gypsy top.  
  
"Hey Faith, you sleep well?"  
  
She asked shutting the door behind her and sitting on the edge of the bed. Faith nodded and said  
  
"I'm sorry about what happened last night, I know I was rude..."  
  
Willow interrupted and said  
  
"There's no need to apologise Faith. I'm sorry that I didn't come into see you last night like I said I would but there was a... problem."  
  
Faiths studied her for a moment noting the fact that Willow seemed unwilling to meet her eyes.  
  
"What kind of problem Red, you should have come and got me, I was up most of the night thinking."  
  
Willow smiled at her gingerly and said,  
  
"There's something I guess you should know, Remus he's well he's a werewolf."  
  
Faith grinned and said  
  
"I always knew that once you'd gone wolf you'd never go back."  
  
Willow turned beetroot red and smiled changing the subject,  
  
"Any ways are you ready for breakfast now? Molly's taken the kids shopping, but she's left us breakfast, so it's just me, you Sirius and Remus."  
  
Faith pulled back the covers and said  
  
"Give me half an hour to shower and dress and I'll be right done."  
  
Half an hour later a clean and dressed Faith descended through the house to the bottom floor and walked silently down the first floor corridor remembering her instructions from the previous night. She smelt the glorious smell even before she had entered the kitchen. Bacon and tomatoes, there just really wasn't a better way to be woken up in the morning.  
  
"Morning"  
  
She said quickly as she entered the kitchen. The three occupants turned round to look at her Willow smiled and beckoned her over to sit with them, which she did. Next to Willow there was a man who had not been there the previous night. She sensed darkness and the struggle against said darkness in his aura, this was Remus she knew without a doubt. He had greying black hair and... her mother's eyes! Faith stared at them for a moment until she realised the questioning glance he was issuing her with.  
  
"Do not think me rude Miss, but I'm afraid we have yet to make an acquaintance as my rude fiancé is more concerned about her eggs and bacon then her manners."  
  
Sirius burst into laughter and Willow dropped her cutlery and elbowed Remus sharply in the ribs.  
  
"Don't be so rude! You know perfectly well that this is Faith and she knows perfectly well who you are. But you insist Faith... Wilkins this is Remus Lupin my dead beat fiancé."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
He exclaimed at her deadbeat comment. Before reaching across the table to shake Faith's hand. He studied her for a moment saying,  
  
"I have this strange feeling that we have met before Faith, did you ever attend Hogwarts?"  
  
Faith looked thoughtful for a moment before saying  
  
"No I've never been to Hogwarts, I was born in America and spent most of my life there. It's only in recent years that I've moved to England."  
  
Willow handed her a large plate piled up with Bacons and tomatoes. And smiled reassuringly at her, she wasn't sure why it was exactly she didn't not want to reveal her true identity as Remus' niece at the moment but knew that there must be a good reason for this. And so wanted to reassure Faith that she would not be the one who was to give the game away.  
  
Faith took the plate and smiled brightly knowing instinctively what Willow had offered her and was grateful for it.  
  
Lupin watched the exchange carefully. Knowing that there was something going on which he wasn't supposed to know about. This friend of Willow's, she was the first one whom he had met from her past life. And there was definitely something about her which he recognised he just couldn't place her. It was like looking at a blurred photo of his past and not being able to make out who it was that was in the photo.  
  
Sirius watched as faith began to dig into her breakfast took a sip of his coffee and said,  
  
"Well Remus, Faith did mention last night that her mother was a witch, maybe you knew her or something."  
  
Faith started to choke on her breakfast, Willow jumped up from her seat and started to hit Faith firmly on the back until she stopped coughing.  
  
"Are you ok?"  
  
Sirius asked quickly, faith nodded and said,  
  
"Five by five."  
  
Before tucking back into her breakfast and giving a thankful look at willow who had retaken her seat next to Remus. 


	4. Part 4

Before tucking back into her breakfast and giving a thankful look at Willow who had retaken her seat next to Remus.  
  
The moment she had spoke the flashing lights had started to go off in Remus' head. He remembered sitting at another breakfast table years and years ago where his mother had been talking to him about how he was feeling after one of his worst transformations. And his older sister Anna had come down the stairs and started scraping butter on some toast. His mother had turned to her and asked her how she was and she had answered five by five. He had never known what it meant but it had seemed to be his sister's catch phrase. Just another one of her quirks that had made her the best sister in the world. She had been six years older then him and so had only been in school with him for one year. After that she had moved to America. In the beginning her had heard from her regularly had even gone to stay with her in Boston during one of the holiday, she had been living with a strange man named Richard who he hadn't liked much. He had got the feeling that he didn't treat Anna that well either and was basically bad news. But after a while less and less letter came and by his final year in Hogwarts they had ceased.  
  
"What did you just say?"  
  
He asked her quietly, she looked up at him startled and said  
  
"I said that I'm feeling five by five"  
  
He looked at her for a moment and said,  
  
"What exactly does that mean?"  
  
Faith looked at him for a moment and said,  
  
"It means I'm fine, it's something my mom used to say. I guess I picked it up along the way."  
  
She looked at Willow mentally begging her to change the subject quickly.  
  
"So what do you think about the new proposal which Fudge has come up with this morning?"  
  
Willow tried desperately to change the subject But Lupin just nodded and said,  
  
"Who was your mother Faith? What was her name"?  
  
Faith looked round quickly not sure whether she was looking for a means of escape or distraction,  
  
"Her name... her name was Anna."  
  
Remus' heart began to thump in his chest as he said,  
  
"Anna what?"  
  
Faith stood up and started to walk towards the door saying  
  
"I've got to go...."  
  
And ran out of the room slamming the door behind her. Remus stared after cursing himself for being so forthcoming wondering why he couldn't have been more smooth or cool about the situation. Willow had jumped off her chair and ran after Faith when she had left the room. So he was left with only Sirius, who let a long breath and said,  
  
"Are you planning on filling us sane people in on why you choose to mercilessly interrogate your fiancé's friends at the breakfast table?"  
  
Remus looked at him silently and reached into his robes pulling out his wallet and a picture which he had not looked at in a very long time. He handed it to Sirius who looked at it and said  
  
"That's you and Anna isn't it? She looks so much like faith..."  
  
Then it suddenly dawned on him what Remus had been thinking, he let out another long breath before handing the photo back to Lupin.  
  
Outside in the corridor Willow was chasing after Faith she managed to grab hold of her legs and rugby tackled her to the floor. Both of them falling in a muddle just in front of Mrs Black's portrait who true to her nature opened her mouth and made as if to start screaming until Willow pulled out her wand and said,  
  
"Scilentio"  
  
Mrs Black opened her mouth but no sound would come out, she tried several times and in the end just issued deadly glares to both the girls and shut her eyes falling asleep almost instantly.  
  
"What the hell was that?"  
  
Willow asked as she disentangled herself from faith,  
  
"Why did you run away, what are you so scared of?"  
  
Faith who had pulled herself off the floor and was rubbing dust off her jeans said  
  
"What makes you think I'm scared Red, I just wasn't hungry any more that's all, I should be going any way G-man and B will be wondering where I am and how it went last night."  
  
She stumbled backwards grabbed the door handle and said,  
  
"Bye Wills thanks for having me, see you soon yeah? Bye."  
  
And with that ran out of the house slamming the door behind her, Willow ran out of the door and stared down the road just able to make out Faith's fleeting form as she sprinted down the road. She watched the fast moving slayer move out of sight before shutting the door and retreating back into the kitchen.  
  
Faith didn't know why she had run; it had been a stupid stupid thing to do. But she carried on running until she was out of breath and being a slayer that was a long time. She figured that she must have run about four miles at least. She bent over her arms resting against her thighs and took in deep steadying breaths. Why the hell had she done that? What had possessed her to leave then? She was about to get something that she had wanted for so long, family. Every since her mom had died she had been passed round like a stray cat that no one wanted. No one had really cared about her or God- forbid loved her since her mom. And that hadn't bothered her, she had built up defences against the world expecting pain, disappoint and to be unloved. That was why she had found it so hard to let people in even after the destruction of the Hellmouth.  
  
She had been about to receive everything, which she had ever wanted, and she left, she realised suddenly what it was that had driven her away. Fear a stupid emotion that she had always thought herself to be above. That is what had chased her from that house Fear. She felt tears begin to fall down her cheeks as she fell to the floor and leant against the wall. How long she sat there, she didn't know but it was a long time.  
  
Eventually she managed to gather herself together enough to leave. She stood up and walked down to the bottom of the street and hailed a taxi, it was close to sunset when she walked through her front door only to be greeted by a Scooby Inquisition. 


	5. Part 5

"Where the Hell have you been?"  
  
"Did something happen, were you alright? You're meant to call in after every assignment"  
  
"You were meant to be helping me teach advanced attack methods"  
  
"We're out of blood and I'm bloody starving."  
  
She held her arms out in front of her and said  
  
"Chill please everyone I'm fine really, I'm sorry I didn't call I should have. Blondie get you own blood, Buffy I know I'm meant to call in after every assignment, Giles I'm sorry was the class ok? Xander, Dawn... I'm just sorry can you all just leave me alone."  
  
She flopped down on the sofa and held her head in her hands leaning on the coffee table.  
  
"Right that's it everyone out."  
  
Xander shouted and started shoving everyone out of the house, Buffy tried to put up some resistance saying  
  
"If there's something wrong we should all be here to help her."  
  
Xander said softly  
  
"If there's something wrong she isn't going to tell everyone, me and Spike are here for her 24/7 living under the same roof and all that she's more likely to talk to us. I'll give you a ring later and tell you what's the what if you want."  
  
Buffy nodded and said  
  
"Remember to call me later then."  
  
She dragged Dawn out of the house with her trying to catch up with Giles, who had left when Xander had initially tried to get them all to leave.  
  
Once they were gone Xander Shut the door and walked over to the sofa and sat down next to Faith putting his arm around her and pulling her closer to him. Spike coughed and said  
  
"Better check on Minnie and Susanna bloody chits nearly brought the house down last time they were sparring."  
  
And left the room quickly throwing faith a concerned look before he left.  
  
Xander started to rub Faith's back and lifted her up so she was sitting on his lap and whipped the hair away from her face and hugged her.  
  
"Come on now Miss Faith you gonna tell old one eyed Xand here why you all down and gloomy?"  
  
She flipped the corners of her lips up into a semi smile and said  
  
"I'm weak."  
  
That knocked the wind right out of Xander, whatever he had been expecting it certainly had not been that, Faith afraid? Never she had always been the strong one, maybe misguided at times, but never weak.  
  
"What do you mean your weak?"  
  
"I'm scared?"  
  
Xander hugged her closer and said  
  
"What are you scared of Faith, nothing scares you! You're the strength gal with no fears. Plenty of stupidity but no fear."  
  
Faith giggled at Xander's small attempt to cheer her up and said  
  
"I was offered the one thing I wanted, and I ran"  
  
"What did you run from?"  
  
Xander asked still not entirely sure what was going on or what they were even talking about any more, in all the time he had known, hated, liked faith, he had never see her like this. Faith was just about to explain when a tapping at the window interrupted them,  
  
"What the Hell?"  
  
She asked leaning off Xander's lap and walking over to the window, she opened it and watched curiously as an owl who had been perched on the window sill hopped in through the window and settled on the coffee table ruffled it's feathers and stuck out it's left leg.  
  
"Xand is it yours?"  
  
He shock his head vigorously  
  
"No definitely not me, birds give me the Wiggins"  
  
Faith chuckled and walking over to the owl crouched down in front of it and said,  
  
"So Mr or is Miss owl what have you got there?"  
  
The door, which led to, the training room down below opened and Spike who had been assisting the training slayers wiped his forehead and said  
  
"Bleeding Hell slayer take the letter off its leg before the poor fowl topples over."  
  
Faith pulled daintily at the rolled up parchment, which the bird clutched and was pleased when it surrendered it with out any fuss. Once Faith had taken the letter the bird flew back out of the window.  
  
"Who's it for? There's no name on it."  
  
Spike walked over towards her and said  
  
"It's for you, owls'll only give up a message to the person that its meant to be delivered to, so who do you know in the wizard world then?"  
  
"Wizard world?"  
  
Xander spoke up suddenly,  
  
"There's a Wizard... nope can't do it not even going to feign surprise at that one."  
  
Faith smiled and said  
  
"I think I want to read this on my own."  
  
And with that she turned and left the main sitting room of the large climbed up the stairs entered her room and shut the door banishing the world outside. Her room was average sized, with a big double bed blue duvet set and lots of pillows thrown over it. It had basic furniture that was provided for all the slayers who lived in Council Housing. Desk, chair, wardrobe and a mirror, a bed and that was it. Over the years Faith had added her own personal touch to the room painting two of the walls dove grey and the other sky blue. Adorning the walls with pictures of friends who had long since been considered family and other knick-knacks, which she had accumulated.  
  
She took her boots off and lay down on the bed placing the letter in front of her and staring at it for a few moments before lifting it up again and examining it. It was fit and looked like probably contained several sheets, which had been folded over and sealed with a crest of some sort imprinted onto red wax.  
  
She pulled at the paper carefully so that she wouldn't rip the paper but hard enough so she would break the seal.  
  
She opened up the letter and began to read,  
  
Faith,  
  
How do I start this letter? I think to begin with I'm going to apologize for upsetting you this morning. I didn't mean to upset you or chase you from the house. I was just shocked I guess would be the only word for it. I was very close to my sister when I was younger and loved her very much. She was always there for me during especially during my worst transformations; she would sit throughout the night watching over me.  
  
She moved to America when I was twelve. I only saw her once after this and heard from her every once in a while but once I was eighteen the letters had stopped. I thought that she must have forgotten about me, so I preyed she would have a happy life and decided to leave it as that. Because of my condition in the wizarding world I am considered as an outsider and it was very difficult for people who were associated for me as they were seen as strange shady people and I didn't wish people to view Anna like that.  
  
I would very much like to meet you again, there is so much more I wish to talk to you about, that can't be discussed in a letter. I've booked a table at Lila's it's an Italian close to the council head quarters for eight o'clock I hope that you will join me, but if you do not then I will understand and never contact you again.  
  
Sincerely  
  
Remus Lupin  
  
She looked at her watch it was half past six, she knew that she was going. There was absolutely no question about that, she was just resigned now to make a good second impression to make up the abysmal one she had left him with that morning.  
  
She got up walked into her en-suite bathroom and turned the shower on pushing the handle round to the coldest setting. She liked cold showers they made you move faster. She stripped off and stepped under the water and quickly washed and conditioned her hand as quickly as she could the water really was freezing. She pulled one of the towels off the radiator and wrapped it around her hair and grabbed the other one to wrap around her body.  
  
She walked back into her room and was shocked to find Xander sitting on her bed,  
  
"Xander! You aren't meant to just walk into a girls room without knocking, she might not be decent."  
  
Xander smiled and said  
  
"I've seen you less decent then this plenty of times faith, normally after quite a bit of tequila. So are you going to explain to me what the hell is going on now, or do I have to get the big guns out?"  
  
Faith had walked over to her wardrobe and was rustling through it looking for something suitable to wear, pulled out a knee length cowl necked dress and said  
  
"What about this? Do you think this is ok?"  
  
Xander stood up walked over to her and grabbed her arms saying  
  
"Faith! Enough! You're going to sit down now and tell me exactly what is going on or I'm..."  
  
Faith brushed his hand of arm and said  
  
"Or you'll what?"  
  
With an evil glint in her eye,  
  
"I'll call Giles."  
  
Faith looked at him for a moment before laughing,  
  
"Ok, look when I was out last night and ran into and old friend, she's getting married soon and I went back to her house to meet her fiancé. Turns out this new love of her life? Happens to be my mom's baby brother. He's invited me to dinner and I really want to make a good impression. After the psychotic athlete impression I left him with this morning after sprinting out of the house in full slayer mode."  
  
Xander who had sat back on the bed said  
  
"Why did you run?"  
  
Faith sat next to him and leant her head on his shoulder saying  
  
"Cause I was scared, what it her didn't like me? I mean god this guy is the only real family I got and what if he hates me when he finds out what I've done?"  
  
Xander pushed her head up with his hand and said  
  
"If he hates you for who you were then he's a fool, it's not you past who determines who you are it's your future and what you choose to make out of it."  
  
Standing up pulling her to her feet and walking to the wardrobe he said  
  
"Right well I guess we've got a lot of work to do to make you uncle-meeting presentable gal then."  
  
Faith hugged him and said  
  
"I knew you'd help"  
  
Half an hour later, faith was dressed in cream hipster wide leg trousers and a caramel silk cowl neck a chocolate leather duster completed the ensemble and a gold chain with a butterfly which Xander had given her for her birthday hung round her neck.  
  
"Wow"  
  
She smiled at Xander and said  
  
"Thanks for helping me, I won't be late promise. Ready to go Blondie?"  
  
She leant forward and hugged Xander before turning to Spike who was lurching in the doorway, he had offered to give her a lift to the restaurant as he was going out any way.  
  
"Sure am, lets get a move on don't want to be late, the cards wait for no man and all that rubbish."  
  
"Don't you dare bring any more cats into this house."  
  
Faith said as she climbed into the passenger side of the car.  
  
"Don't you like Persians? I think their kind of cute."  
  
"Not when they aint potty trained."  
  
Spike grinned at her turned the stereo up and they were off. It took all of ten minutes to get to the restaurant; she could have walked there but was glad of the lift. She nervously fiddled with the button of her jacket. Until Spike had pulled up to the curb and reached over and grabbed her hand,  
  
"Don't worry pet he's going to love you. I've got my cell if there's a problem give me a ring and I'll be there in a flash. No go in and impress the old man show him what you've made of yourself."  
  
Faith smiled and leant over kissed him on the cheek said  
  
"Night Blondie and you better hope that there isn't a single cat in that house when I wake up tomorrow or there's going to be some lovely tanned vamp ash on the porch at midday ok?"  
  
Spike grinned and said  
  
"Night Slayer." 


	6. Part 6

Faith climbed out of the car, and watched as the battered old De sotto drove out of sight. Before running her hands down her sides to make sure that her clothing was straight, And walking into the opened door of the restaurant.  
  
She walked over to where a waiter was standing to greet the clientele and said,  
  
"I'm meant to be meeting someone here at eight,"  
  
She looked at her watch it was nearly quarter past, the waiter looked at a piece of card in front of him, which contained a table plan and said,  
  
"Name?"  
  
"Lupin, Remus Lupin."  
  
He searched the table card for a couple more moments and said  
  
"Certainly madam, this way please you partner for this evening has already arrived, would you like me to take you coat?"  
  
She took off her duster and handed it to the waiter who had pulled a chair out for her from the table at which Remus was sitting. Once she was seated the waiter walked off and left them alone. Faith smiled nervously at Remus who returned it with one of his own.  
  
"Hi"  
  
"Hey Faith."  
  
They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, Faith took a sip out of the glass of water that the waiter had poured for her and Remus fiddled with his menu.  
  
"So um, you're my mom's brother then?  
  
Remus grinned and said  
  
"Yeah I guess that makes you my niece, I don't know if anyone's ever told you this but you look very much like you mother."  
  
Faith smiled and said  
  
"No, no ones ever told me that. But then again after she died the people who cared for me never knew my mom any way so they wouldn't have been able to spot a resemblance."  
  
Remus looked saddened for a moment before saying,  
  
"So Anna's dead then?"  
  
Faith nodded and Remus sighed saying  
  
"I guess I always knew that she was, when the letters stopped but I still didn't want to give up hope that she had just moved on with her life and forgotten about me. I just figured that as long as she was alive the idea that she had forgotten about me wouldn't matter so much."  
  
"She never forgot about you, she used to tell me stories about you I think, I was very small though and she never really said your name that I can remember. But she always talked about her brother about how much she had loved him. She always got this sad look in her eyes whenever she talked about you it was like she blamed herself for something which happened to you, but she never told me what."  
  
"Anna was with me when I was bitten, she was walking me home from a friends house through a wooded copse close to our home when the beast jumped out and attacked us, she managed to ward it off with some defence spells she had learnt in school, holding me behind her while she fought it. I was only about six at the time, but while she was fighting one, another one came from behind us and it managed to bite me, she pulled me away above her head but it managed to catch me any way. There was a lot of blood so she ran I've no idea how she managed to out run them but she did. Carrying me in her arms, she never stopped until we got home. She slammed the kitchen door behind us and collapsed on the floor me still in her arms."  
  
Faith looked tear eyed at the story, so that was what her mom had felt guilty about, that was the wrong she had felt she had done her brother,  
  
"Did you ever blame her?"  
  
"Not for a moment, she did everything she could to get us both out of there, more than could have been expected of her like I said I was only six. Well she was twelve years old, it was a miracle that she managed to get us out of there, I don't know if you've ever gone against a wolf but they're strong powerful and clever. I never ever blamed her for what happened, it was because of her that I was still alive. She blamed herself though, and I tried to tell her that I didn't blame or hate her but I never truly convinced her. She used to stay with me throughout my transformations when I was younger and she was home from school, my father would give her the Deruce tonic to drink while she sat with me. It was a protective barrier under her skin that prevented me from cutting her in any way."  
  
The waiter reappeared at the table and said  
  
"Are we ready to order yet or would you like some more time?"  
  
Remus looked at Fait quickly and said  
  
"I think we're ready"  
  
Faith nodded so he carried on saying,  
  
"I'll have a vegetarian lasagne"  
  
"Spaghetti bolognaise, and a side order of garlic bread and a rocket salad."  
  
Faith said smiling at the waiter watching until he had left them before turning to Remus and saying,  
  
"I hope you don't mind but oversized appetite comes with the whole slayer packages, I'm not even going to begin telling you how much the food bill in our house is."  
  
Remus laughed and said,  
  
"How many people do you live with then?"  
  
"Well the house we live in is provided by the Watchers council, there are several of them in the area. Each house has a few council executives and an experienced slayer living on the premises to offer any advice during the training of the new recruits or just to talk them about their destinies. At the moment there are four training slayers living with me, Minnie and Susana who are seventeen their the oldest, Louise whose fifteen and Katie whose only eleven, she's one of the youngest in training we've got at the moment. Then there's me obviously and Xander and Spike who are the council people, if you can call them that. Troublemakers more the term normally used to describe them. Quite a little group we are but it's hell at meal times. Between Susana's vegetarianism, Louise being lactose in tolerant and Spike's blood, God knows how we manage to have a meal each night. And I'm moaning a little too much considering this is the first time we've talked."  
  
Faith broke off with a sheepish grin, and Remus said  
  
"Don't be silly, I want to get to know you, to be part of your life and meet your friends. And you look so happy when you talk about them, that talking about them can't be a bad thing."  
  
Faith smiled and said,  
  
"So your friends, I don't know anything about them, I met some of them the other but we didn't really talk that much, what are they like?"  
  
Remus looked thoughtful for a moment and said,  
  
"Well Molly is very mothering as you may have noticed. She adopts people into her care and is exceptionally fierce if you get on her bad side; I suppose you would have to be with seven children. Arthur works for the ministry he is totally obsessed with everything non-magical. If he manages to corner you I'm sure he'll be drilling you on the uses of everyday useless items such as rubber ducks."  
  
He looked around them quickly before carrying on,  
  
"Sirius was one of my best friends from school along with Harry's parents and a man named Peter. There are others who I'm sure that you'll meet in time. Dumbledore I expect will be most anxious to meet you. He taught your mother as well as myself at school, in fact I think he has basically taught everyone in school. He's presently teaching Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny."  
  
Faith smiled she knew he was holding something back but decided not to push it, so she changed the subject by asking,  
  
"So now you've told me bout your friends, I'm kind of curious about how you and red met?"  
  
Remus looked slightly bemused at the question and said,  
  
"Well, for the last couple of years I've worked at a Boarding school in Scotland, Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry to be exact. I'm the Defence against the Dark Arts teacher there, well apart from three days a month. Willow teaches Charms there as well. She started working there roughly at the same time as me, so we kind of stuck together for a while. I had worked there before so I knew how things worked, but it was nice having a friend and so we just kind of clung to each other and it went from there."  
  
"That's sweet, obviously a guy's version of what happened, but sweet none the less."  
  
Faith said with a grin. The food arrived at this point so the two of them began to eat. While they were eating Remus asked,  
  
"What about you, do you have anyone special in your life at the moment?"  
  
"Not really."  
  
"So there's no one whom I have to have a talk with then about your honour and how if they hurt you in any way they'd have the patriarch of the Lupin family to deal with?"  
  
Faith laughed and said  
  
"If you must know I have quite a few people defending my honour as it is."  
  
Lupin laughed and said,  
  
"I'm glad you've got good friends, everyone needs some."  
  
Faith bit into some of her garlic bread and looked round at the restaurant before smiling back at Remus and saying,  
  
"I never used to think so, I used to think that I was fine on my own that needing people was weak. After mom died, I had no one. So I was just moved round every couple of weeks to different foster homes. Anyone who would have me really, didn't really give much lea way to build up close bonds or nothing. I was bout sixteen when I was called, by that time I was basically out of control. Dropped out of school, drinking, going out every night doing the stupidest things I could think and anything for a laugh. My first watcher her name was Madeline Smith, she became my family and I guess while I was with her, I was stable for a while. She built up this whole system for me. Training and basic academic studies in moderation to going out and partying She arranged it so that I would have fun but in exchange I had to work for the time I spent having fun first. It's cause of her that I at least have a couple of qualifications. She would come out with me in the nights while I was patrolling and always make sure that there was a hot meal ready for us when we got home. She gave me a room in her own home, it was great, it was like having a home again."  
  
Faith looked down at her plate in silence again,  
  
"What happened to her?"  
  
Remus asked, knowing deep down that there wasn't a good ending to this story, there couldn't be. But needing all the same to know what the ending was, so that he could start to understand what it was his niece had gone through so that he could somehow start to make it up to her now.  
  
"It was just after my seventeenth birthday, we were out patrolling and some Vamps jumped us a couple of blocks away from home, they were bout a dozen of them. I managed to keep on top of them but Maddie being there was distracting me, I couldn't concentrate with her there. I needed her to be safe. So I told her to run for it back to the house. There were only bout five left at that point and I could handle them so she did, only problem was that's what they'd been expecting so there was another dozen waiting for her round the block. I killed all of them and started running home to make sure that she was ok. I had just turned the block when I saw her. They tied her to two bikes, and were gutting her. She was still alive when the bikes ripped her in half. I'll never forget her scream. She caught my eyes just before she died and... she was afraid, so afraid it was like her soul was screaming out to me. I wanted to help her. But I couldn't move. Then when they'd finished, when she was dead they saw me, and they laughed. I turned and I ran, I don't know how I got home, but I did. I packed my bag and left at dawn."  
  
Remus was in shock, he couldn't believe the horrors she had been forced to deal with, first to find her mother lying dead. Then to watch the woman who she had considered family being tortured and murdered so brutally in front of her, it was horrific.  
  
"I went to Sunnydale then, Maddie had told me that was where the other slayer was stationed."  
  
She took a sip of her water and Remus cleared his throat saying,  
  
"I'm sorry Faith."  
  
"It's ok, it happened a long time ago. She's in a better place now."  
  
Remus nodded and said  
  
"I'm sorry that she died, and I'm sorry that you've had to live this life, none of us knew about you. Anna never said she'd a daughter. We didn't even know that she had died; she just stopped writing one day. If we had of known then you would not have had to grow up like that, you'd have had a proper family caring for you."  
  
Faith smiled and said  
  
"I know, but I've a got a family now. I'm not saying that I don't want to be part of your family, of mom's family cause I do. But I just want you to know that I may have had some bad times but I've also gained so much from fighting the good fight, that you shouldn't feel sorry about me ok? It took me a long time to realise what I had and what I could have. But I know now, and I wouldn't trade it for anything."  
  
They ate in silence for a whiled and Remus said,  
  
"There's more isn't there? There's more that you're not telling me about you past?"  
  
Faith looked at him for a moment and said,  
  
"Yeah there's more."  
  
"You don't have to talk about it now if you don't want."  
  
Remus said, Faith nodded but said  
  
"Nah, it's better if it's all in the open, I killed a man. When I was eighteen, I thought he was a vampire. It wasn't until the second my stake pierced his heart that I realised my mistake. There was blood everywhere. We left him there then, but later I went back and tried to hide the body by throwing it into the sea. It was found though and there were inquiries bout B, the other slayer and me. We were the main suspects. Mayor knew all bout us and such. I didn't think I could do anything worse than kill that guy, but what I did afterwards was worse. I knew that they were getting close to figuring out which of us it was. So I decided that I wasn't going to go down for killing the slime ball. I went to Giles, and told him that it was Buffy who had killed him. I thought he'd believed me, but he hadn't and little did I know Wesley had heard everything too. Next thing I know I'm being carted away by the council's psychotic unit. I got away though and made the biggest mistake of my life. I joined the bad guys fighting against my previous friends. Although I use that term loosely, I tried hurting them in every way I knew how. Turning back Angel to haunt Buffy and I tried to kill Will, only the bosses orders stopped me from going through with it. He was the reason for it of course the reason I became bad. It's not some sordid love affair or anything. The relationship that we had was more like father and daughter. He loved me and looked after me. Anything I wanted I got in exchange for certain chores he needed done. Collecting stuff from the airport. Assassinations etc. it all came to a stand still with Angel. B loved him and although she cared bout me as a sister slayer there was no choice in her mind it was him. I'd poisoned him under orders. The only cure being blood of a slayer so she was determined to feed me to him. We fought, nearly killed each other. I was in the comma for a long time. Eighteen months I think. By that time the mayor was long dead and I was on my own again. He'd left me one last present though. A body switching device, I thought yes you know, this is my chance I can finally ruin Buffy's life in the same way she ruined mine, make her realise what it's like to loose every one you love and then be shunned as second best in the only thing that's yours, the only thing your good at. Her friends worked it out though and switched us back. I left for LA then and a big fight between me Angel and Buffy took place. I was so shocked when he took my side. That someone had chosen me again that I realised I could trust him. He knew what it was like, he told me the only way I could justify my crime and begin my road to redemption was to pay for my crime. I handed myself in at the nearest police station. There was still a warrant for my arrest so they sent me to prison. Had a life sentence but the powers of good needed me for one last fight so I was busted out. Sorted things out and made up for the mistakes I had made. And have been fighting the good fight ever since. I'm sorry if I'm a disappointment or a shock to you. If you were expecting a good girl, well that just isn't me. I've done stupid stuff but I'm making my peace as best as I can."  
  
Remus shocked at what she had just disclosed said  
  
"I'm proud that I have a niece who knows her mind, who's made mistakes but is humble enough to try to make amends, we all make mistakes. But it's not our pasts that determine who we are; it's the future and what we choose to make of it. So I'm not disappointed with my niece, in fact I think I'm proud to bursting point. And I know for a fact that Anna would be too."  
  
Faith felt tears falling down her cheeks, her mom would be proud of her... she had never been able to know that before now. No one had known her mom to be able to say that and mean it. She hadn't even known what her mom would have wanted for her. But now here was someone who knew her mom and he said that she would have been proud of her.  
  
Remus watched Faith and the smile of pure joy, which had crossed her face, and knew that he had done well. He'd been so nervous about meeting her tonight about how things would go. He'd almost not come himself. But he was glad he had now. He looked at his watch, it was getting late and they had finished their meal.  
  
"Are you ready to leave now? It's just the waiters keep giving us murderous looks, I think they want to close up soon."  
  
Faith looked round the restaurant and saw that all the other people who had once occupied the tables had left. So she nodded and Remus beckoned to the waiter to bring their coats, he paid and they left.  
  
A/N someone asked about pairing's and whether it was going to be Faith/ Xander. I'm not really sure at the moment who Faith is going to be paired with in all honesty. I'm intending this story to be part of a trilogy, so they're maybe a couple of relationships to go through before finding the one. The interaction I wrote between her and Xander was written with the idea that they had history. I don't know whether that history will later transform into a relationship who knows? But there are a couple of others who I've got in mind at the moment for Faith, so try to have an open mind. 


	7. Part 7

They caught a taxi back to Faith's house, where Lupin paid the taxi driver and walked Faith to the door. She smiled at him and said,  
  
"I've had a great night, it was really good getting to know you. Do you want to do the same thing again soon?"  
  
Remus grinned and said,  
  
"What bout tomorrow night, you and your friends come back to Sirius' house? Just remember when your looking for it what you read on that piece of paper Willow gave you."  
  
He offered out his hand to her and she shook it,  
  
"Tomorrow sounds good, not sure how many of us it'll be probably three maybe four."  
  
"Till tomorrow then."  
  
Remus said watching as faith walked into her house. Before pulling his wand out of his pocket and apparating back to Grimauld place with a pop.  
  
Faith looked at her watch it was nearly one. She didn't lock the door knowing that Spike wouldn't be back til close to dawn, especially since this was one of his poker nights. She took off her duster and hung it on one of the hooks Xander had set up in the hall. After weeks, of everyone complaining about the assortment of coats, jackets and scarves being bundled on the floor behind the door.  
  
She pulled of her boots, and dropped them in the pile in the hallway. They may have sorted out the coats, but they hadn't got around to buying a shoe rack yet. She would have gone straight up to her room but there was a light shining under the door of the living room, so she decided that she would go and see who it was that was up and about.  
  
She walked in and was not at all surprised when she saw that it was Xander sitting on the sofa, the TV blaring with some random movie playing on it. He was spread out, his body covering the whole of the sofa. His head balancing precariously on one of the cushion on the arm of the chair, and a small trail of drool dribbling down his chin. She guessed that he had been asleep for a while, she often found him like this especially on nights when she went out on patrol, he would always wait up for her.  
  
She leaned over his sleeping form and grabbed the chenille blanket which was folded over the back of the chair, unfolded it and spread it over him making sure he was well covered. After that she lifted his head up cautiously not wanting to wake him and secured the cushion more firmly under his head. In a fashion, which would guarantee the minimal amount of neck-ache in the morning.  
  
After she had done this she squatted down next to him and kissed on the lips lightly saying  
  
"Night Xand, thanks for waiting up for me."  
  
Before turning off the light and shutting the door, when she got upstairs she poked her head round the rooms in which slept the training slayers, Making sure they were ok before turning in herself for the night.  
  
The next morning she woke up to the smell of coffee, which was being enticingly wafted, under her nose. She opened her eyes and grinned when she saw Xander standing there with a tray.  
  
"Morning Xand, sleep well?"  
  
"Like a log, thanks for sorting me out last night."  
  
She grabbed a piece of toast of the tray as he sat on the edge of her bed,  
  
"How do you know it was me who sorted you out?"  
  
She asked with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes,  
  
"Well it sure as hell wasn't Spike he came in just before dawn and nearly sat on me!"  
  
Faith exploded in peals of laughter, while Xander sat there eating some toast a humorous look on his face.  
  
"So, come on, details."  
  
She laughed and said  
  
"You know what Xand? Your turning into a right old gossip."  
  
Xander dropped his toast onto the plate and put both his hands on his chest over his heart and said,  
  
"How dare you? I'm just showing casual interest with a hint of nosiness defiantly no gossiping here."  
  
She laughed and said,  
  
"It was great, we had a good talk told him all bout me and he told me about himself and how he met Willow..."  
  
The minute she said she saw the difference in Xander, his eyes darkened and he dropped the piece of toast, which he had been eating.  
  
"Willow? As in our Willow?"  
  
Faith nodded and said,  
  
"I thought I told you?"  
  
He stared right at her, his eyes steeled towards her,  
  
"No I think you forgot to mention that small fact."  
  
He got up off her bed and started walking out of the room, Faith jumped up out of the bed and grabbed his arm,  
  
"Xander, I'm sorry I must have forgotten." "Faith Just let me go ok. I need time to be on my own before I say something which I know that I'll regret."  
  
She let go of his arm and watched as he walked out of her room slamming the door behind him. She couldn't believe how stupid she had been, she knew how much Willow had meant to Xander. How hurt he had been when she had left without even saying a proper good bye. In the space of twenty hours he had lost two of the woman he loved. It had left him so upset he became almost catatonic sitting for hours staring at the roof of the bus. Refusing to take part in the world or to even acknowledge its existence. Buffy had been to tired after the final battle, after they had left Sunnydale she had fallen into a deep sleep which no one had been able to wake her up from, or even tried to.  
  
She had sat and watched Xander grow more and more distant from the world before she had made her move. She had stood up and sat next to him. She hadn't really known what to do after that, but once he had felt someone sit next to him he had made the first move. He had leant against her and cried. She had held him for hours while he cried his heart out, not making a sound, there was no need for an explanation she understood the pain he felt. She knew what it was like to loose everyone.  
  
Somewhere around the outskirts of La he had stopped crying, sat up straight and wiped the last tears from his eye. He had leant over and kissed her chastely on the cheek, and from that moment they had become firm friends.  
  
When they had moved to London and had been dividing themselves out into supervisors of the different council houses, it had been given that the two of them would be placed together. She knew that most people expected them to get together. If she was honest, sometimes she thought that they were going to get together. She loved him as a friend, a deep love the likes of which she had never felt before. He respected her, and her feel like she was floating on air. She knew that given the chance she would probably fall in love with him, but she had never allowed herself thus far as she knew that if she fell then she would fall hard, and she didn't want to have to go through the pain of getting over him if it turned out that he didn't feel the same way.  
  
She drank the last of her coffee and decided that it was time to get dressed. After her shower she walked over to her wardrobe and pulled out a pair of hip hugging low risers and a purple tank top. She didn't put socks on or slippers, she preferred to walk around the house bare foot, loving the feeling of the soft polished wood and luxuriously thick carpets.  
  
She carried the tray downstairs and smiled when she found Louise and Katie sitting at the table in the kitchen watching cartoons and eating coco puffs.  
  
"Morning Girls,"  
  
Faith said as she cleared the tray and put the dishes in the dishwasher.  
  
"Morning Faith."  
  
They answered near simultaneously it always creped her out when they did that. But she was beginning to get used to it. Semi mind reading especially of other slayers seemed to be a common gift between the training slayers.  
  
"Has any one seen Xander this morning?"  
  
Louise turned away from the TV and said,  
  
"He was down here earlier said something about going to the council for a bit this morning."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Faith muttered softly to herself before mentally shaking herself,  
  
"So what plans have you got for today?"  
  
She enquired as she poured herself another mug of coffee and sat at the table with them.  
  
"My mum's coming to take me out for the afternoon."  
  
Katie said,  
  
"She's bringing my new baby sister, Jezzabella. She wants to know if there is some kind of test you can do to see whether Jezzie will ever become a slayer."  
  
Faith crinkled her forehead and said,  
  
"I'm not sure whether it's detectable in babies but I'll give Giles a ring later. What about you Lou? What are you going to be up to today?"  
  
Faith had always felt closer to Louise than most of the other slayers she looked after. They had similar backgrounds; Louise's parents had both been killed when she was six years old. They had died in a car crash, so she had spent the majority of her childhood living with different family members. Aunts, uncles, cousins whoever would take her really. That was until four years ago when the council had tracked her down using a locating spell Giles had developed.  
  
"Me, I was thinking of going shopping, need a new pair of jeans. Do you want to come with me?"  
  
She asked finishing the last of her cereal, Faith thought for a moment and said,  
  
"Yeah that'll be fun, you can help me find a respectable dress to wear tonight when we go out for dinner to my uncles."  
  
Three hours later and faith was standing in front of a dressing room mirror wearing a three quarter length black dress which was off the shoulder and had was made from a mixture of silk and velvet. It was very flattering and clung to each of Faith's curves. Louise was standing next to her saying,  
  
"Come on Faith, you have to get that one."  
  
"Do you really think this is suitable for meeting my uncles friends?"  
  
Louise grinned at her and said,  
  
"Of course not, but I'm sure Xander would like it."  
  
Faith blushed slightly and said,  
  
"He would wouldn't he?"  
  
In the end she bought the black dress and a navy cowl neck top, which had small silver, stars sewn onto it on the seams.  
  
When they had left the shop they went to Albert's Café for dinner. They sat for in silence for a while drinking coffee before Louise broke the silence and said,  
  
"What's your uncle like then?"  
  
Faith thought for a moment before saying,  
  
"It's weird, I have an uncle. I've not had a family for so long. Not a blood on anyway that it feels strange now thinking of him as my uncle. But he's nice; he's everything you would want for an uncle. I just find it difficult you know?"  
  
Louise looked thoughtful and drank some of her coffee saying,  
  
"I think I understand, I mean when my parents died I was so scared and lonely. I would live with different people but they never really wanted me I could tell, and it wasn't the same. I'd come home from school some days and there'd be no one home until late. My mom never worked, she would always come and pick me up from school, when we got home she'd always have something waiting for me a cookie or brownie or something. She'd play with me till my dad would come home, then she would start tea and I would sit on his lap while he read the paper to me. I don't really remember them ever shouting out at each other or me. But when they died I was alone and that scared me. But now I feel safe and I have a home. I've got you, Xander, Spike and the other training's. But if I had the chance to have my family back, my mom and my dad, then I think I may give it all up. It doesn't mean that I love you guys any less, I just love them more than anything."  
  
Faith rubbed the younger girls hand reassuringly and said,  
  
"You know what I always think before I go into a battle or a fight?"  
  
Louise shook her head.  
  
"I go in knowing I'm going to win, but that if I don't then I will never truly loose. When I die I'll be with her again. Heaven is a place where warriors go to when they die. It's their reward for the life they lead. Our reward for what we loose out in on life to be able to look after the crowds of people who don't know and thing and don't give a shit when they see you in the street. People like us, don't ever loose cause we've got all the exits covered in this life and the next."  
  
Louise smiled tears brimming in her eyes,  
  
"How can you know that though?"  
  
Faith grinned and said,  
  
"I don't have to know it, it's all in here."  
  
She said tapping her heart,  
  
"Now have you finished? Cause we need to get back."  
  
Louise nodded and waited as Faith paid the bill and the two of them left. It was only a short walk back home but they relished in it walking slowly, enjoying the warm sunshine of the afternoon. When they got back Faith went straight upstairs with her purchases while Louise went into the living room and flopped in front of the TV.  
  
When Faith got to her room she found Xander sitting on her window seat staring out of the window. She put her bags on the bed and walked over to sit with him.  
  
"You have fun shopping?"  
  
He asked not turning his attention away from the window to look at her, she sat down and drew he knees up to her chest and said,  
  
"Yeah it was fun, my and Lou slayerly bonding, what bout you, how was HQ?"  
  
"Boring."  
  
"So how are you feeling now, I'm sorry about willow, I thought I'd told you that I'd seen her."  
  
Xander's eyes seemed to steal over again as he said,  
  
"Well you didn't, I know it wasn't deliberate or malicious so I'm going to let it pass this time. But any more of my long lost friends jump out of you, make sure that you tell me bout it ok?"  
  
Faith nodded and grinned when he opened his arms up to her and she leaned into him for a hug, when she was lying with her head on his chest he closed his arms around her and they sat contentedly together looking out of the window, watching as the sun set. 


	8. Part 8

Something had the break the peacefulness she was feeling though. Looking at the clock she saw that time was quickly moving on, and she only had a couple of hours before she was meant to be at Grimmauld place.  
  
An hour later she was standing in the hall dressed in her new cowl neck and a pair of jeans.  
  
"Xander Harris, Louise Martin, Spike Get you assess down here now if you're coming with me! We had to leave about ten minutes ago to be there on time, now we're going to be late."  
  
There was a lot of crashing noises coming from upstairs and suddenly two figures thundered down the stairs towards her,  
  
"Sorry Faith."  
  
Louise puffed out breathlessly. She looked pretty wearing a pea green sleeveless dress; Xander was dressed in his good jeans and a black sweatshirt.  
  
"Sorry."  
  
He said simply putting his arm around her and stroking her back trying to calm her down, he knew that she was nervous about tonight. Hell he was nervous if he was honest. He wanted everything to go well for her, she deserved this, but there was always the Willow factor. He wasn't sure whether he was mad with his old best friend of whether he was just disappointed that she had left when he needed her the most.  
  
"Where the Hell is that dumb-ass vampire?"  
  
"I'm Hurt pet, you know that I prefer to be called: Evil conniving sexy Bastard, or the Big Bad of course."  
  
Spike said leaning against the doorframe of the living room wearing his black jeans, t-shirt and open red silk shirt. She was nervous, he could tell that.  
  
She looked around and saw that they were all ready and said,  
  
"Well let's go then."  
  
The ride over was uneventful; faith was so nervous she just sat there fiddling with the hem of her shirt until Xander had reached over and squeezed her hand reassuringly choosing not to remove it afterwards.  
  
Louise just sat staring out of the windows until they reached Grimmauld place, Spike had been driving and parked the car on the side of the road next to a garage which had been locked up for the night.  
  
"So where we going then?"  
  
He asked climbing out of the drivers seat and pulling his lighter and cigarettes out of his pocket.  
  
"It's just here."  
  
Faith said moving to stand outside numbers 11 and 13,  
  
"So which one is it the Faithanater?"  
  
Xander asked grinning at her, suddenly a door appeared from no where and out of it a man with greying hair appeared and beckoned to them saying,  
  
"Hurry up."  
  
They followed Faith's lead as she ran to where the man was standing, trusting her as she approached the stranger and ran in through the door which had appeared out of thin air. It was only when they were inside and the door was shut that they were able to look around and see hat they were inside an actual house.  
  
The man was standing smiling at them, he put a finger to his lips and beckoned for them to follow him, Xander was about to open him mouth to ask what was going on when Faith placed her hand firmly across his mouth and shook her head.  
  
They walked down the short corridor and walked into a room, which Faith had not been in during her previous visit to house. It turned out to be a medium size sitting room. When the door was firmly shut Faith smiled at the man and turning to her friends said,  
  
"Well guys this is my Uncle Remus,"  
  
Remus smiled and Faith continued saying,  
  
"This is Xander Harris, Spike and Louise Martin."  
  
"Pleased to meet you"  
  
Remus said moving forward and shaking the trio's hands before quickly hugging Faith and saying,  
  
"Well if you and your friends would like to sit down a moment I'll go and see where the others are."  
  
And left the room. Faith looked round the room and sat down on one of the old fashioned faded blue velvet plush sofas.  
  
Xander sat down next to her and said,  
  
"Well he seemed nice."  
  
Spike walked over to the armchair which was opposite the sofa and said,  
  
"What exactly did he mean the others? How many of them are there?"  
  
Louise looked unsure of where to sit until Faith pattered the space on the coach next to her, once Louise was seated she turned her attention back to spike and said,  
  
"To be honest I'm not sure, this is kind of like our HQ was originally, they all just kind of stay here. I know that it belongs to one of Remus' friend from school Sirius, and that a red headed family are staying here with Sirius' god son Harry and a girl whose got a weird French sounding name beginning with H which I can't really remember. Apart from that I'm not sure."  
  
"I'm beginning to think that were seriously going to be outnumbered."  
  
Xander said conspicuously to Spike as Faith straightened out a bump in Louise's hair. The door opened and about half a dozen people of a variety of ages walked into room following a concerned looking Remus.  
  
"Where's Willow?"  
  
Xander spoke up quietly after looking round the group expecting to find her. Remus looked pale for a moment before saying,  
  
"She's not feeling too well at the moment but she said that she'd be down later."  
  
Faith squeezed Xander's arm and said,  
  
"It's nothing to serious is it?"  
  
Remus shook his head and said looking at his friends who were watching him silently before saying,  
  
"Well I guess I need to make some introductions here don't I. Lets go from left to right ok? Well the young lady sitting next to me is Hermione she's seventeen and going to be entering into her seventh year at Hogwarts this autumn as are Harry and Ron who are sitting next to her."  
  
The three of them gave little waves and smiled at the slayer quartet.  
  
"Then on the couch next to them that's Bill, Ron's older brother, Sirius and Arthur, Bill and Ron's father. Molly and Tonks are about down in the kitchen preparing dinner."  
  
There was a loud bang, which sounded like it was coming from the kitchen followed by hurried footsteps, and suddenly a tall thin woman with scarlet hair came crashing through the door. Sirius chuckled and said,  
  
"This is Tonks, Tonks why don't you pull your skirt straight before saying hello to our guests."  
  
The woman looked down herself quickly and seeing nothing wrong with her appearance walked over and slapped Sirius playfully on the head before sitting down on the coach next to him.  
  
Remus cleared his throat and said,  
  
"This is My Niece Faith, and her friends Xander Harris, Louise Martin and Spike."  
  
Every one smiled or waved back, Faith finding special interest in Sirius who hadn't taken his eyes off her since he'd entered the room except to make fun of Tonks. She smiled at him and he smiled back at her before turning to Tonks who was staring at spike. Tonks smiled at Faith before turning to look at Spike and saying,  
  
"I think I know you from somewhere..."  
  
Spike chuckled and said,  
  
"Did you hear that slayer I'm infamous even the wizarding lot have heard bout the regular old big bad."  
  
Faith grinned answering with,  
  
"And here we were thinking that you were a washed up no-vamp, maybe you should go on tour, meet the fans and all that."  
  
Louise giggled and spike turning to her winking before saying,  
  
"You know you missed me bit- slayer all those sleepless nights all alone."  
  
Louise turned bright red and Xander raising an eyebrow at her turned to Spike and said,  
  
"You are aware of council protocol and the age of consent aren't you Blondie Bear."  
  
Spike just laughed and faith glared him before turning to look at Louise and asked  
  
"Sleepless nights Louise?"  
  
Louise who was now brick red with embarrassment looked at Faith and said,  
  
"I don't sleep well, you try sharing a room with Katie and you wouldn't sleep either, so I normally go downstairs and watch TV til dawn, it's not my fault if he's there too he lives there!"  
  
Faith laughed and said,  
  
"Lou I was only joking, somehow you and the blonde wonder just don't go together least not in my mind. And if he ever tried anything I know you could whoop his ass"  
  
Remus coughed slightly smiling at Faith indicating the confused looking group watching the quartet's exchange with confusion and interest. Tonks spoke up again looking at Spike,  
  
"So who are you, spike can't be your real name,"  
  
She laughed, Spike stood up an intense scowl on his face and said,  
  
"I am Spike also known as William the Bloody, Quarter of the scourge of Europe. Childe of Drusilla the Mad, Grandchilde of Angelus the Angel Faced Demon and Great Grandchilde of Darla the Impure sired by the Master himself..."  
  
Hermione interrupted here to ask,  
  
"How did you get the name Spike?"  
  
Spike chuckled before saying  
  
"Dru gave it to me when we were travelling through the old west following the railway builders, so much fun it was in them days pinning a man down to the ground with railroad spikes and torturing him slowly listening to his screams fill the night air, the most beautiful sound in the world. Ah memories."  
  
The wizarding lot stared at Spike with a mixture of fascination and Horror, Faith laughing at their reaction to spike said,  
  
"You know what Blondie Bear, Angel isn't going to be pleased if I tell him you've been bad. Remember last time? Those chains were tied real tight and I was sure he was going to check your implant...."  
  
"Implant?"  
  
Hermione asked quickly, Xander answered honestly but kindly, he'd grown to respect Spike over the last couple of years and knew that his implant was a difficult topic for him said simply,  
  
"Quite a few years ago now, Spike was captured by the military who were perform experiments on the demonic beings, Vampires, demons, werewolves... anyway they placed an implant in Spike's head which means he's unable to harm a human being in any way except vocally and emotionally, which has managed to perfect over the years. The implant isn't the only thing keeping him in check however, a year or so before Sunnydale was destroyed Spike completed the Sherat N'ategeads, it's a ritual that allows demonic beings to regain their souls. So you guys are kind of special your sitting here with the only souled vampire this side of the pacific."  
  
Bill was the one, who asked the question this time,  
  
"This side of the pacific, you mean there's another souled vampire somewhere else?"  
  
Spike chuckled and said,  
  
"Of course there is, there's the poof."  
  
"The Poof?"  
  
Bill asked looking confused.  
  
"Angelus."  
  
Faith answered simply,  
  
"He was cursed with a soul by gypsy's for killing their princess."  
  
Spike who had got bored of this line of questioning changed the subject simply by saying,  
  
"Any way. What kind of name is Tonks?"  
  
Sirius who had was sitting next to her laughed and poking her said,  
  
"Yes Tonks why don't you explain to our guests your name."  
  
Tonks was glaring daggers around the room at her friends, who were laughing before saying,  
  
"Tonks is my last name, my idiot mother for some reason chose to call me Nymphadora, what kind of name is that? I mean she used to call me Nymphy for short, who would do that to a poor defenceless child? Obviously a black despite what the family claims."  
  
The door opened quietly and a solitary figure walked in,  
  
"Willow?"  
  
Xander asked quietly. 


	9. Part 9

Willow stood and looked around the room it was strange seeing them all together now. Her old friends the ones whom she had grown up with and her new ones, the people who had opened up there homes their world to her when she had arrived friendless and alone.  
  
She smiled at them looking around the room until she saw Xander, she felt a sharp jolt to her heart when she realised that her best friend, the man she had loved while growing up, the one who would have sacrificed himself for her would not even look her in the eye.  
  
She didn't know what she had expected; she had abandoned him when he needed her most, thinking back now she couldn't believe that she had left when she did. She didn't try to contact him not knowing how he would react to her. He had changed over the years she had missed that change. He still had the same look, which she knew she to bore, the look of someone who had dealt with more, and then they should have in such a short life.  
  
Remus watched her as she stared at the boy, Xander. She had told him about her and he knew how much he had... did mean to her. She was scared of meeting him after so long, scared of his reaction. He looked at the boy and saw that he was unwilling ever to look at her. He felt anger course through him at the thought of any one hurting his fiancé but knew from what he had been told, that the boy's anger was justified. The boy had lost the love of his life and his best friend in the same day, not something that you would forget in a hurry.  
  
He knew from experience, his mind drifted back to Lily and James. He had loved lily, would have married her if she had no been so in love with James. But they had not been meant to be and he accepted that but it did not mean that he didn't love her still or James for that matter, he had been one of the best friends Remus had ever had.  
  
Faith had grabbed Xander's hand when Willow had walked in and was now stroking it gently trying to calm him down, she knew how hard this was for him. She wished she could protect him from this, but this was one problem, which she couldn't slay for him. Nobody was saying anything the Wizards in the room were watching uncertainly there glances being shared between Willow, Remus and Xander. She decided to brake through the awkwardness of the moment, gave Xander a peck on the cheek stood up and hugged willow saying,  
  
"Hey Red, miss me?"  
  
Willow laughed softly and hugged Faith back saying,  
  
"About as much as dry rot."  
  
Spike had chuckled then said,  
  
"Oh slayer she's got you there."  
  
He stood up and enveloped willow in a hug saying,  
  
"Missed you Red, you should have called or at least taken me with you, you know you were the only one of that dull lot I could stand and to think you could have been shacked up with the real big Bad by now, not some wolf pup."  
  
Remus glared at Spike but willow just hugged back, slapped him lightly on the arm and said,  
  
"If only."  
  
Remus had grabbed her by the waist at that comment and pulled her close to him,  
  
"Got the message pup."  
  
Spike said grinning and sat back down, this time close to Sirius who after laughing at willow and spike's interaction had pushed tonks off the couch and offered him the space.  
  
Louise looked a little uncomfortable at the closeness which was being shown by the old friends that she just sat there rigidly until Willow breaking free from Remus' embrace walked over to her and lifted her chin up, stared deep in her eyes and said softly,  
  
"Don't be afraid, you're a slayer you're stronger than this. Always meet people in the eye, never show your fear."  
  
Louise stared into Willow's green eyes and said,  
  
"I know you, I remember you."  
  
Willow smiled and said,  
  
"Yes and I remember you, you were playing baseball when you were awakened weren't you? I remember running beside you as you made your first ever home run, although you have grown up a lot since then."  
  
Louise smiled and said,  
  
"Yeah in more ways then one, I've got Faith and the others to thank for that."  
  
Faith laughed and said,  
  
"You really think so Lou? I'm touched someone thinks of me as a mother figure.... shit I'm not old enough be a mother especially not one with a fifteen year old child am I?"  
  
Faith looked genuinely upset about this realisation and no one really knew what to say until Xander and Spike burst into laughter. Soon after that everyone else followed.  
  
Xander pulled Faith into a bear hug, at that moment Molly walked into the room and said,  
  
"Well dinner's ready if you're all ready for it."  
  
They all looked at each other and followed Molly silently to the Kitchen. Faith didn't know how it had happened but somehow she managed to end up sitting in between Remus and Sirius, not that she was complaining really. Next to Sirius Xander and Tonks seemed to be having an animated conversation about the many uses for marmalade. Spike was sitting with Bill and Mr Weasley who was trying desperately to start a conversation about rubber ducks or something of that nature and spike was desperately trying to ignore him without seeming rude.  
  
"The Big Bad does not play with Rubber ducks... real ones on the other hand you should hear the noise they make as you squeeze them..."  
  
Spike started and causing everyone sitting close to him to flinch, he was chuckling to himself at there obvious discomfort and Xander who was sitting opposite him paused in his conversation with Tonks just long enough to say,  
  
"Bleach boy, these people have taken us into their home and are feeding us! You know how important it is not to offend them? Or do you really want to go back to living off Faith's concoctions."  
  
"Hey, no one makes you eat what I cook,"  
  
Faith shouted up from her vantage point,  
  
"And anyway why was it we ended up having a tin of tuna for Christmas dinner last year?"  
  
Everyone was staring now at the exchange between Xander and Faith both had twinkles in their eyes as they exchanged insults.  
  
"It was Salmon if you must know. And how was I supposed to know that you had to defrost the turkey before cooking it?"  
  
Xander said simply, Louise who was sitting on the other side to him had completely broken down into laughter at this point the memory of said Christmas proving almost to be too much for her. And left everyone else at the table trying desperately to hold on to their stifled giggles.  
  
Molly appeared in the doorway clutching the first bowls of her scrumptious supper.  
  
"I wasn't sure what everyone would want but I thought Turkey pie would be nice."  
  
Anyone who had not been laughing before this was now. Molly looked round at everyone for an explanation she knew that what she had said wasn't really that funny. Her eyes finally settled on Arthur who was almost doubled over.  
  
"Sorry Mrs Weasley... Xander was just telling us all about the proper way to cook a turkey."  
  
Hermione explained in between giggles, Molly looked at him then and said,  
  
"Are you some kind of chief then?"  
  
Xander blushed profusely at this and spike answered saying,  
  
"If he's what's counted as a chief in modern society then I'm glad I no longer need to eat solid food."  
  
Molly looked a bit daze at that but carried on placing dishes on the table and pretty soon the whole room was filled with the delicious smell of roasted turkey pie, new potatoes, mountains of peas and steaming glorious turkey gravy.  
  
The rest of the meal past uneventfully, after everyone had finished they're desert of home made cheesecake and had settled into lazy conversations with whoever was sitting closest to them, that something happened. Faith was just finishing off the last mouthful of her second piece of cake when she heard Willow whisper her name, but it was strange. She looked across at the red head who seemed to be stirring her coffee. Faith passed it off as tiredness until she heard it again,  
  
_'Faith,"_  
  
Faith looked round again, but this time the voice continued saying,  
  
_'For God's sake don't make this any more difficult then it already is."  
  
'Is that you Red?'_  
  
Faith's internal voice asked,  
  
_'Who were you expecting Prince Charming?'_  
  
She almost giggled out loud but instead said,  
  
_'I'm sure there's some reason for this delightful intrusion of my privacy so what is it?"_  
  
_'Someone's feeling Catty."_  
  
Faith started to drink her coffee and asked,  
  
_'What's wrong?'  
  
'Xander.'  
  
'What about him?'_  
  
Faith asked knowing this was going to be hard,  
  
_'I need to talk to him, to explain why I did what I did.'  
  
'Well talk to him then.'  
  
'It's difficult when he won't even look at me.'  
  
'Go up to him then and ask him.'  
  
'What if he ignores me or tells me to leave him alone.'  
  
'He won't.'  
  
'How do you know?'_  
  
_'Cause he misses you just as much as you missed him, He doesn't know what to say to you. It has been seven years and no contact and then he finds out that you were in the same country, same city even and never tried to contact him. It hurts.'_  
  
"So what's the lady thinking about so intently, that she doesn't notice that the cup she's drinking out of is empty?"  
  
Sirius asked winking at Faith who realising he was addressing her swiftly dropped the cup from her hands and watched dazedly as it fell to the floor catching it just before impact. But her sudden movements broke the link with Willow so she didn't hear her response.  
  
"Sorry, I was miles away then. Were you saying something?"  
  
"Yes I was just asking you about the new Watchers Councils approach with dealing with the forces of evil?"  
  
"We find them, kill them, and stop them. Pretty simple."  
  
Sirius laughed and said,  
  
"Direct just how I like it."  
  
Faith didn't miss the appreciative look Sirius gave her and neither did Remus who growled softly at his old friend.  
  
"Keeps your eyes to yourself Padfoot."  
  
Sirius laughed and said,  
  
"If I have to Mooney, if I have too."  
  
Willow, who listened to their exchange with a smile on her face. She made her decision and got up from her seat opposite Remus and walked over to where Xander was telling Tonks about the latest mishaps with the trainees. They both stopped talking when Willow came up to them. Xander looked strained at the situation and Tonks just looked uncomfortable.  
  
"Can we talk?"  
  
Willow asked softly looking at the back of her best friends head, she wasn't sure whether he would or not and if truth be told she wouldn't blame him if he didn't want to talk to her what she had done had hurt him badly.  
  
Xander sat and thought for a moment, a big part of him wanted to say no, to scream at her that she had left him, that she had made the choice. What he hadn't realised was that everyone else had stopped in their conversation's and were staring at the two of them. Some knowing what was happening and others not. He caught Faith's eyes and almost heard her telling him not to be such an ass and to talk to Willow. He quipped a slight grin at her and turned round to face his old friend and said,  
  
"Let's talk." 


	10. Part 10

"Do you mind if we go somewhere else?"  
  
The question wasn't only directed at Xander but also at Remus who nodded his consent and Sirius, who smiled and said,  
  
"Why don't you use my dear old mother's parlour? I cleaned it out the other day, so it should be fine."  
  
Willow walked to the door and held it open for Xander, who stood to follow her,  
  
"Do you want me to send you any drinks or more dessert or anything?"  
  
Molly asked starting to stand up again, Willow quickly started forward saying,  
  
"No thank you Molly, the meal was wonderful and I don't think that I could eat another bite if I'm honest, Xand?"  
  
Xander smiled at the woman seated at the table and said,  
  
"Ditto, Thanks all the same."  
  
And with that the two friends left. The door swinging back and forth in its frame indicating their departure, everyone had been silent watching the exchange, but as soon as they were gone the questions began.  
  
"So what was all that about?"  
  
"Is there any more pie mum?"  
  
Molly swept her eyes critically over her youngest son and said,  
  
"Ronald Bilius Weasley..."  
  
"Never mind,"  
  
He said simply and put his spoon down, everyone else was watching Remus and Faith waiting for the answer to Sirius' question about what had just taken place. Remus didn't really know what to say so he just looked at Faith guiltily and smiled apologetically in her direction. She knew immediately what was going on so she looked at him and said with smile,  
  
"I've known you less than a week and your already using puppy dog eyes to weasel your way out of things."  
  
He just chuckled, Faith using her napkin dabbed the corner of her mouth, when that was done she placed it back down on the table and turning to the rest of the company said,  
  
"Willow and Xander um well.... What do you want to know?"  
  
"Did they used to date or something,"  
  
Hermione asked ignoring the dark looks Harry and Ron gave her as they were indicating Remus, Spike snorted and said,  
  
"Please why would Red go out with whelp boy?"  
  
Catching Faith's eyes he said,  
  
"They wouldn't have worked together they tried but it didn't.... I'm just going to shut up now, Slayer going to clean this mess up?"  
  
Glaring at him faith continued saying,  
  
"I don't really know the whole story about them, not that there's a story really. It's difficult trying to find words to describe how they felt about each other. They were best friends basically from the moment they started school. Helping each other through everything life threw at them. Neither of them had great parents and Wills was well targeted by the other girls for being quiet and studious. Xander and Jesse helped her through all of it..."  
  
"Who was Jesse?"  
  
Remus asked, he'd never heard about him before. It made him wonder what Willow had kept from him, Faith faltered for a moment she didn't know what to say.  
  
"I never knew him, he died a long time before I met them all."  
  
"How did he die?"  
  
Ron asked,  
  
"He was turned by vampires, I think it was Xander who eventually staked him... he told me once that was the moment he realised he wasn't a child anymore, when he lost his innocence."  
  
"He killed his own friend?"  
  
Ron asked his eyes wide,  
  
"When a vampire's turned they're not who they were when they were alive. They look like the person you knew, they have the same voice and the same memories but they're not them. It's the hardest thing in the world to stand before someone who was a friend, who you loved and listen to the demon that wears they're face taunt you. When it comes down to it you have to move past who he was and kill the monster that wears his face. It's the only thing you can do to truly honour you friend."  
  
Spike finished using his serious voice, Ron looked at him processing what he had just said and nodded saying,  
  
"It must have been hard."  
  
Faith nodded and shot a small smile too Remus before carrying on saying,  
  
"The love Willow and Xander had... Have...had for each other is stronger than anything you could imagine. I guess you all know about Willow and... well yeah. Has she ever told you what stopped her? Why she didn't go through with what she started?"  
  
Mostly every one shook their heads, Molly said,  
  
"We just assumed that she either realised what she as doing or that she run out of power."  
  
Faith suppressed a small smile and said,  
  
"She had the power and knew what she was doing, she was so far gone. It's impossible to describe what she must have been feeling every moment of pain of anguish of hatred anyone had ever felt, she felt it as she poured her power into that statue. The thing that stopped her... The one thing that stopped her was Xander."  
  
Sirius looked up and said,  
  
"I thought he was a muggle? How could he have stopped someone that powerful?"  
  
"Love."  
  
Faith whispered.  
  
"He stood in the way would have let her kill him before he let go through with what she wanted to do. She almost did but that's what stopped her anyway. So it isn't that they're old lovers or anything they're just friends."  
  
Faith said, trying desperately to wrap everything up without giving too much away. They were not easily put off though and Faith was cornered when Harry asked,  
  
"Why is he so mad with her then?"  
  
Faith looked down at her top and said,  
  
"He's not mad."  
  
Harry persisted and said,  
  
"So why won't he talk to her?"  
  
Faith looked at him and said,  
  
"Nothing's Black and white kid that's what you've got to learn to understand, there's a hell of a lot of grey mixed in there. I'm guessing you know bout the first and the end of Sunnydale?"  
  
Everyone nodded so she continued saying,  
  
"We lost some people in the battle, something which happens in all wars I guess, it's a danger and people are always going to loose people they love. We lost a lot of good slayer Spike there sacrificed himself... But that's another story and more importantly to Xander we lost Anya."  
  
"Who was Anya?"  
  
Tonks asked for the first time looking up from her plate,  
  
"Anya was Xander's.... well I don't know what you call her really, she was an ex-vengeance demon who was 1000 years older than him. She lost her powers as a punishment for something but I can't remember what."  
  
"Her amulet was broken... it was the source of her power."  
  
Spike said softly from his corner of the table, he had liked Anya a lot she was one of the few people at that time that he had considered a friend.  
  
"They had a strange relationship and eventually decided that they were going to get married, but they never did really."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Sirius asked not really liking the direction this story was going,  
  
"He had a visitor the morning of the wedding it was one of Anya's victims from the past, he pretended that he was from the future and had come to warn him not to marry Anya. He showed him visions of what would happen. He told me when he was drunk once what they were, It was of them how they would be, he was injured and couldn't work she had to work constantly to support him. They had two children one of which he didn't think was his. The love had completely disappeared and he ended up killing her."  
  
There were a couple of gasps and a lot of sad looks round the table at that and Faith continued saying,  
  
"He'd grown up in a home like that, where there was no love. He didn't want to have to go through it again and he didn't even want to imagine hurting her in that way. He loved her so much, that's why he left her at the alter; She didn't understand not that you could blame her really. It took them a while but I think they were beginning to work things out again. But like I said she was killed in the battle, he stayed for as long as he could looking for her, she died a heroes death. He loved her so much it killed him to loose her he started to leave this world you could see it in his eyes. Then a few hours later when we stopped Willow left us, we had stopped at a service station to buy some food and medical supplies and she just left. He lost the two woman he loved within hours of each other, it nearly killed him."  
  
"Why did she leave?"  
  
Harry asked.  
  
In the parlour of number 12 Grimmauld place two best friends sat opposite each other, neither knowing what to say, how to start how to even begin what needed to be said,  
  
"Why did you leave?"  
  
Xander eventually asked breaking the silence. Willow looked up at him meeting his eyes finally, her hair, which she had let grown long again swayed across her shoulders and she let out the breath, she hadn't been holding,  
  
"I couldn't stay, it was too hard I couldn't bare to start it all over again. I needed to leave, you didn't need me any longer."  
  
Xander looked at her tears creeping into the corners of his eyes as he said,  
  
"I needed you."  
  
Willow felt the tears begin to shed in her own eyes as she said,  
  
"No you need the old me, not the me I had become."  
  
"No Will, I needed you... I needed you to be there for me just like I was there for you."  
  
He knew what he said was harsh but it was what he felt,  
  
"After everything you did after Tara did, I was still there for you, I knew you needed me. I was willing to die for you to help you, but you just left me... left me when I needed you so much Wills I thought I was going to die and there was no one there to help me and then you left and I truly thought it would be easier to just die."  
  
Willow started crying again and said,  
  
"I'm sorry but I couldn't stay."  
  
Xander stood up and looked at her and said,  
  
"It wasn't only me you hurt you know? Buffy was so scared and Kennedy, how could you just leave her? You broke her heart."  
  
Willow was weeping now her head held softly in her hand and her hair falling over her, covering her face.  
  
"I never meant to, I just couldn't stay. I wanted to leave so long ago but couldn't not with the first. I couldn't face you, not to tell you that I was leaving because I knew that if I had to look into your eyes I wouldn't be able to do it. I wouldn't be able to leave you any of you. For once I had to think of me first, I had to leave. I would have gone mad if I'd stayed don't you understand?"  
  
Xander had turned ashen he was so angry and hurt but most of all he felt betrayed,  
  
"All this time I thought that you had left because you were scared of what was to happen next all this time I've felt guilty because I wasn't there to help you. So many times I've sat down with a bottle of whatever and drunk myself into a stupor trying to forget the guilt I felt every time I thought of you. I imagined you in all kinds of situation each worse than the last sometimes I even thought you were dead that you had killed yourself... in the most awful moment I imagined that you had been turned. I felt guilty about what had happened to you. When all the time you were here living a perfect life, God Wills you didn't even write us a leaving note. Did we really mean that little to you?"  
  
He stood up from his chair and looking at his once best friend whose fragile frame was shaking as she sobbed walked towards the door saying,  
  
"I'm sorry for coming back and spoiling your perfect world, but don't worry you won't hear from me again. I hope you have a real nice life."  
  
He left the room without a backward glance and walked back down the hall to the kitchen, she shoved open the door and stared at Faith, she took one look at him and stood up breaking from the conversation she was having with Sirius about the new formed council and walked over to him, they needed to leave now, she could tell that much from looking at him. Louise stood up quickly when she saw Faith get up, after looking at Xander she knew he was upset and that meant they would be leaving soon she smiled at Hermione and walked over to where Faith was standing, Spike was the last to stand up he walked straight out of the room and took Louise with him, grabbing her hand and pulling her through the door saying,  
  
"Come on Slayer Bit, best leave the grown ups a minute."  
  
Faith turned to look at the table of Wizards and said,  
  
"I think we better go."  
  
Before pushing Xander out of the kitchen, as they left Willow walked past them and entered the kitchen she had been crying, but Faith couldn't stop to see what was wrong with her she just needed to get Xander out of there. They had just reached the entrance hall when Remus followed them saying,  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
Xander would meet his eye's so he pushed forward grabbing the boy and shoving him against the wall,  
  
"What's happened? What did you and Willow talk about."  
  
He still wouldn't meet Remus' eyes instead choosing to look at the floor,  
  
"TELL ME WHAT YOU SAID TO HER!"  
  
He shouted raising his fist as if to punch him, but finding he couldn't, he turned and saw that Faith had grabbed his fist.  
  
"Let Go!"  
  
He snarled angrily at her, she tightened her grip slightly and said,  
  
"I won't let you hit him, you're my uncle and I don't want to hurt you but don't threaten my friends."  
  
He looked at her searchingly for a moment before dropping his fist, Sirius appeared from behind them and gripping Remus on the shoulder said,  
  
"Come on mate, it's not worth it, go and see to Willow."  
  
He watched as Remus walked back towards the kitchen before turning back to Faith and saying,  
  
"I'd ask you all to leave but there's no point, Faith we'll probably meet again there's no way to stop that. Don't mind Moony he's just protective of Willow she was so lost when she first came here. I like you all of you in fact, but Remus is my oldest friend and I care for him like I would my own blood so until he invites you back to this house, you're no longer welcome."  
  
He looked from Xander's betrayed expression to Faith's heartbroken one before saying,  
  
"I'm truly sorry, but you must understand..."  
  
Faith finished doing up the buttons of her coat before cutting him off saying,  
  
"It's ok, thank you for having us and don't worry about having us again... tell Remus... tell him it's like what I said I already have a family it would have been nice but it's obviously not meant to be and that I understand... telling him good luck for his wedding you know... I hope he's happy."  
  
With that she turned to leave through the big main door followed closely by Xander Spike and Louise, she turned one last time to say simply,  
  
"Good bye Sirius, tell Molly Thanks for the meal."  
  
And with that the four of them walked off down the road.

_A/N I know that's not how most people thought the conversation was going to go so I'm sorry. Still not sure bout the pairings, thanks to Puffy Marshmallow, Cow as White as Milk and Shouldbeblonde for reviewing the last chapter:) this chapters dedicated to you three._


	11. Part 11

They hadn't got far before Xander stopped, he fell to the floor and began to totally break down. With his back against the wall of one of the houses he gripped at his knees and began to cry, his body was shaking from the emotions he felt. Faith had tears in her eyes as she kneeled down in front of him,  
  
"Xander?"  
  
She whispered softly, reaching across softly to touch his face, repeating again,  
  
"Xander?"  
  
He shuddered against her touch and she felt her heart break she leaned forward and pulled him into her arms nearly falling over from their combined weight but balancing somehow as she clung to him letting him cry out his tears. Knowing that he would try to keep it all in like he had before, but what he really needed was to let it all out. Time seemed to slow down for everyone; Louise was almost crying she was so upset. She didn't know what to do, so she just stood there watching her two friends cry to each other it was painful for her to watch. Spike pulled her into his arms and hugged her in a big brotherly way trying to reassure her that everything was going to be fine. After a couple of minutes he pulled away from her and said,  
  
"I'll be back in a minute."  
  
Faith turned to look at him quickly observing the serious look on his face and sparing a small smile to Louise before turning all her attention back to Xander. She stroked the back of his neck playing with the small curls of black hair, which gathered there, hoping desperately to calm him down. Although they were safe enough out here it was still night and she didn't like Louise being out at night even if she was a slayer. She'd lost one of her girls once in the early years of the training scheme and had never forgiven herself for Natalie's death.  
  
After a couple of moments Spike reappeared as promised with a taxi in toe. Faith smiled gratefully and watched as Louise climbed into the taxi, she tried to pull Xander up into a standing position but could feel that he didn't have the strength. She was genuinely surprised when spike bent over and pulled him up in his arms and carried him to the taxi, she got over her surprise however and sprung back up to her feet climbing into the back of the taxi. The ride back to the house was difficult for all the occupants. The Driver decided that it would be in his best interests not to say anything to his passenger's on this trip, none of them really looked up to the friendly banter which he was used to. Louise was scared, the stability she had found since moving in with Faith, Xander and Spike seemed to be evaporating right in front of her. She had never in the whole time she had stayed their seen Faith cry let alone Spike or Xander! But there he was sitting opposite her, being clutched protectively by Faith with his head on her shoulder crying his heart out while Spike was sitting next to her cracking his knuckles. Faith didn't know what to do, even after the battle of the first when Anya had died he had not been this bad. She was scared that this might be the blow that made them loose him. She couldn't loose him she needed him.  
  
It was only fifteen minutes before they got back to the house Spike tossed a wad of notes at the driver and climbed out of the taxi walking round to the opposite door opening it and waiting while Louise scooted out to reach in and pull Xander out. He helped him to his feet and wrapped his arm around him to support him. He wouldn't admit it but he considered Xander to be on of his closest friends and he looked after his own. However good a friend Willow had been to him in the past it did not make up in his eyes the pain, which she had inflicted on Xander now in the present. Faith was the last out of the taxi; she took a minute sitting there while Spike helped Xander out to gather herself together for what she had to do next.  
  
She walked up the front path quickly and opened the front door, Minnie and Susana were watching TV in the living room, one look at her face though and they both went upstairs without a word, neither were weak willed but they knew that while they were in this house they needed to obey the orders which Faith had laid out for them when they had first arrived. Thankfully Katie was in her room already her bedtime having been an hour before.  
  
Faith walked determinedly into the living room, the TV was still on and there were some magazines on the sofa, which she brushed aside making room for spike to lay Xander down. Once that was done, She turned her attention to Louise who looked like she was going to burst into tears. She bit down on her lip cursing herself for letting the girl be so involved right now, she walked over to where she was standing and pulled her into a bone breaking hug whispering  
  
"It's going to be ok."  
  
Into her ear and kissing her maternally on the forehead before telling her to go to bed, which she did without question. Faith knew that she wouldn't be in bed straight away as Minnie and Susana would be waiting for her to find out what was going on. When the girl was gone Faith turned to Spike who was standing the other side of the sofa looking down at Xander on the sofa.  
  
"What now then?"  
  
He asked looking at her, she sat on the edge of the sofa and said,  
  
"I don't know, I guess we should take him upstairs."  
  
He nodded at her and reached down to pull Xander up, and half carrying half dragging him got him up the stairs and placed him down on his bed. Faith followed him up the stairs and sat on the edge of the bed watching Xander. Spike left without a word he didn't know what to say. There was nothing he could say really, he nodded slightly at Faith before going, knowing that she would be the best one to deal with Xander now. Faith smiled at him as he left, she looked down at Xander, he had his eyes shut the trail where the tears and followed one after the other had left indentations on his skin, he was pale and looked corpse like, he was finally asleep.  
  
She pulled off her jacket and lat down on the bed next to him, her head resting on his chest listening to his rhythmic heartbeat beating to the rhythm of life, before falling asleep.  
  
The next morning when she woke up, Xander was gone. She sat up and looked around the room, glancing at the clock sitting on his bedside table she saw that it was just after nine. Climbing out of the bed she walked down the corridor to her room, stopping to have a shower and get changed into her sweats and training vest. She had slipped behind slightly on not only her own training but also the training of her girls and that was not good. So this morning would be the perfect time to pick up the slack.  
  
She walked down the stairs and came across Minnie who was sitting in front of the TV watching cartoons and eating some kind of chocolate cereal, when she saw what Faith was wearing she groaned and said,  
  
"Do we have to?"  
  
Faith flopped down on the sofa next to her and started pulling on her trainers saying,  
  
"Yeah, now get upstairs lazy ass, I would have thought you'd be wanting to do this more than anyone. Your nearly old enough to go out on a proper patrol now you know, but unless you pass the tests no one's going to let you out in with the big bad vamps...."  
  
Minnie who had been staring dumbly at the TV turned to Faith her eyes seemed dead almost and said,  
  
"But what if I don't want to be out their risking my life night after night? I mean I maybe a slayer but why does that mean that I have to do this? There are hundreds of us or so you say, so why is it we all have to do this? What if I don't want to die? What if I don't want to go out and face the big bad vamps?"  
  
Faith finished tying her trainers and examined Minnie for a moment before opening her mouth to reply to the question, but was beaten to it by Xander, who was standing in the doorway behind them,  
  
"Then you would be denying who you are, what you are. It's a part of you, one that won't go away if you ignore it, if you choose to ignore it then it'll prove to be your undoing. You can't hide who you are either you'll show your true colours by accident or the effort from hiding your true self will slowly weaken and kill you."  
  
Faith gave a small smile and said,  
  
"Plus it'll guarantee that you'll be able to eat as much as that junk as you want without worrying but the way you'll look after it, now go and get dress."  
  
Minnie lethargically stood up and put her bowl in the kitchen as she was walking out of the living room door Faith called after her,  
  
"Make sure the others are up as well, tell them we're doing physical defence in the basement ok?"  
  
She took Minnie's grunt as and affirmative so turning her attention back to Xander she observed him as he sat in a chair opposite hers. He still wore the hollow ashen look he had the night before but a smile graced his lips, it wasn't a true smile however as it didn't reach his eyes. She stood up from the sofa and walked across to his chair sitting on the arm of it, leaning her head on his shoulder.  
  
"Where did you go?"  
  
"I needed some air, clear the senses and all that. I'm sorry if I woke you I tried not to, I guess I just needed some time on my own to sort things out."  
  
Faith smiled and said,  
  
"That's ok, I was just worried about you that's all we all were. I just wanted to make sure you were ok, you were really bad last night and then you were gone..."  
  
He gave her a one armed hug kissing the top of her head and said pulling her slightly to face him,  
  
"I need to apologise for last night, I guess I've probably blown your chance of a happy family..."  
  
"Don't be an idiot, I've got a family. The thing with Remus, it would have been cool but I didn't need it, I told him I already had a family and I meant that. I know my mom would have wanted us to try and make it work but your more important to me. So it was an easy choice to make ok?"  
  
Xander gave her a proper grin now and said,  
  
"I'm still sorry."  
  
"Don't be."  
  
She hesitated a minute before carrying on,  
  
"What happened with you and willow? You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to or you're not ready or anything..."  
  
His eyes glazed over again as he said,  
  
"I'd rather not talk about it."  
  
She smiled sadly at him and said,  
  
"Just know I'm always here for you."  
  
They were interrupted then by the sound of four sets of feet stomping down the staircase,  
  
"We're in the basement."  
  
Faith shouted to them and listened as more doors flew open several loud bangs as the girls made their way down to the cellar. She stood up and smiling said,  
  
"I better get down there, you know what their like they'll bring the house down if left to their own devices."  
  
Xander watched as she left, he could hardly remember the night before now, it was all a blur a painful clouded blur that he didn't want to understand. All he knew was that he had woken up that morning with Faith lying next to him and it had felt right somehow. Seeing her they're lying with her hair spread out across the pillow she had looked almost like an angel, which had fallen from heaven. He had tucked the blanket round her when he had left and spent a couple of moments just staring at her.  
  
As he had left for his walk a part of him had wished that he would wake up every morning to find her there... there was something calming about her being there, just by being there for him she had almost managed to make him forget about the pain from the night before. It had made him realise something though, the willow thing had hurt God it had hurt but really he didn't need her any more, hadn't any more not since he had Faith.... Shaking his head he stood up and walked towards the kitchen and started to make himself some breakfast. 


	12. Part 12

Downstairs in the basement training was going about as well as could be expected. Faith started them out with an intense aerobic warm-up, followed by a match spar exercise, which Faith observed. At one o'clock she called an end to the practice and watched as the younger girls left. When she was sure they had gone she walked over to the back wall and pulling at a chain that hung around her neck she reached down and unlocked the padlock. Smiling as she heard the familiar click of the door unlocking she opened the doors and stood for a moment staring at the contents of her cupboard.

It was in here that all her most treasure and most dangerous weapons were stored. Looking through the contents she reached across and grabbed at a thick ebony staff which she pulled out and fondled it between her fingers, closing her eyes and re-assimilating the texture of the wood, each crevice and dent which had long ago been recorded to memory.

She moved to the centre of the wide room and took the warrior stance. Keeping her eyes closed, She worked through each of the movements in the sequence, she had learned long ago. She didn't know how long she took completing the movements but after a while she became aware of a presence in the room with her. Not feeling in the mood to be disturbed she carried on with her movements hoping that whoever it was would get the message.

She was working through Chas T'suings defence movements when her movements were stopped by a weight being thrown against her staff. She opened her eyes in a flash and was met by a smiling pair of blue ones.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that you shouldn't interrupt peoples thoughts?"

Buffy laugh and running her staff along Faith's said,

"Sometimes peoples thoughts need interruption... and anyway I think we need to talk anyway."

Faith started circling the smaller slayer and laughing said,

"What are you breaking up with me B? Funny since I didn't know you cared not like that any way."

Buffy made the first attack slamming the base of her staff into Faith's shin, which was quickly blocked.

"I care, that's why I've given you space the last couple of days but now, I want an explanation."

Faith advanced attacking with the top of her staff forcing Buffy backwards,

"What do you want to know?"

Buffy swiped her staff across the floor catching Faith off guard tripping her over so that she fell on her ass and positioning her staff in front of Faith's throat,

"Round one, goes to you B."

Faith said slightly grudgingly, she didn't like it when Buffy beat her especially when she was using her weapon of choice. She flipped to her feet and taking the stance again smiled and said,

"I'll ask you again, what do you want to know?"

Buffy dropped the staff to the floor and did a series of flips around a startled looking Faith stopping behind her and trying unsuccessfully to trip her a second time.

"What's been going on the last couple of days, I've heard all kinds of stories from the girls Wizards, Werewolves, a secret love child you had when you were 17 and believe me they get more ridiculous from there on in. But the only one I came close to believing was Louise when she told me you had family?"

Faith dropped her staff and smiling at Buffy said,

"Want some Coffee?"

Buffy smiled back and said,

"I could do with a caffeine fix yeah."

They left the house pausing only briefly for Faith to run upstairs and change out of her training gear into a pair of jeans and a black tank top. She grabbed a jacket from the hook at the bottom of the stairs and yelled in that she was going out with Buffy before slamming the door behind them. They walked down the street to The Kings Head. A Pub, which was situated on the corner of road, as she walked in the bartender, Ted, called out

"Shit, Boys! Time to leave now as trouble has just come walking into the bar."

The locals who were in having their lunch time pint just smiled and laughed amongst themselves a few of them nodding in the direction of Faith as she walked across to the bar. Smiling she said,

"Afternoon Ted."

"Alright Darling what can I get for you and your friend then?"

Faith turning to Buffy reached into her pocket grabbed her wallet and said,

"When did you last change the coffee filter?"

He turned and looked guiltily at the coffee machine perched on the shelf behind him and said,

" Well...you see...Diane was really busy last night... I'm not sure"

Faith grinned and said,

"I guess that'll be a Coke for me and for you Buff?"

Buffy nodded and Ted grinning Poured out two pints of Pepsi for them, Faith made as if to pay but he waved his hands at her and said,

"Off you go wench, drinks on me today."

Faith Smiling picked up her drinks and led Buffy across the well-lit clean room, over to a table under the front window. Placing the drinks down she took of her jacket and sat down. Buffy tapped her fingers on the table impatiently and said,

"Are you going to tell me now or am I going to have to kick you ass?"

"Ok well you remember the mission I was on that night?"

"The Soul ring gang?"

Faith nodded and took a slurp of her drink,

"Well anyway I wasn't the only person there with an interest in them, Willow was there."

Buffy paled a little and said,

"Willow as in our Willow? The Willow who left without-a-goodbye Willow?"

Faith nodded,

"She's a teacher now and she's engaged... To my uncle."

Buffy's eyebrow peaked a little,

"She always wanted to be a teacher but put it off. ...Sorry"

She smiled softly and said,

"I didn't even know you had an Uncle let alone one who lived in this area, how come you never said anything?"

Faith looking at her hands said,

"I never really knew, I knew I had an uncle obviously he was my mom's younger brother and she used to talk about him all the time. But I never saw him or heard from him or anything."

She cleared her throat and said,

"Well anyway me and red got talking found out the connection, sorted out the bad guys and she invited me home for a family reunion of sorts."

"She's here in London?"

Buffy asked the pain looking a bit more real on her face Faith nodded adding,

"Only in the summer, the school she teaches in is one for magic it's in Scotland I think. She didn't know any of us were here... anyway we went to this house and it was huge. It was kind of like a communal kind of thing there were loads of them there. Sort of like our HQ was to begin with."

"So you met your uncle."

Faith nodded and told her the whole story, all about meeting him for dinner and then the visit from the previous night and the argument between Xander and Willow.

"Wow..."

Buffy said,

"Are you ok with it? I know that you said you were but you don't have to pretend here you know."

Faith smiled weakly and said,

"I can't say it doesn't hurt cause it does. I mean... come on he was family he was blood and that shit's important. But I don't regret choosing to leave. Because what else could I have done."

Buffy finished off her drink and said,

"You really do love Xander don't you?"

Faith blushed, but before she could answer a man who was standing on the edge of their table interrupted them. He coughed and nodded at Faith a twinkle in his eyes and a smile on his lips as he said,

"I don't know if you remember me from last night, Bill Weasley."


End file.
